Full Circle
by Ushuaia1
Summary: Sequel to Missing You: Kenny and Max have to deal with her recovery, their expanding family, as a new serial killer comes to town.
1. Default Chapter

-1"Ssh, ssh," Kenny said soothed, lifting his month old daughter into his arms. "It's okay, you're just a little wet."

Tossing the dirty one into the diaper genie, he snagged a clean one off of the stack. Pausing he watched the squirming infant with a smile, and knew she was going to be a stunner when she was older. Even, he thought, with her face red from screaming she's beautiful. With flame red hair like her mother. Faltering slightly, he lifted a happier and dry Lindsay into his arms, and made his way downstairs.

"Uncle Kenny? I need some help," Nate called, "I can't find my homework."

"Hold on, I'm coming," Kenny called back. "Uh, check in your back pack again."

"Oh, I got it," Nate called back. "Thanks!"

"Daddy," Emily wailed, grabbing onto his leg, "I'm hungry!"

"In a minute," Kenny replied, trying to stay patient. "Go find your shoes Em. We gotta get going. Samantha!"

"Coming, coming," she grumbled. "I don't see what the hurry is anyway. It's just school. And it's too cold to go outside."

Kenny gritted his teeth. "I know you have a test today, so you're going. We'll even run through a drive in to get you guys some breakfast, if we go now."

"Fine," Samantha mumbled, pulling her bulky sweater over her head. "Lets just go."

"You guys got everything?" Kenny asked, as he hustled them out the front door. "Let's get going."

**1111111111111111111111**

"You look exhausted," Skeeter commented that same morning. "How is everything going at home?"

Kenny shrugged. "It's okay. Kind of hectic in the morning, but we're getting used to it. Four kids . . . Lindsay's got a set of lungs on her. You can hear her for miles."

"She's cute though. Linda took one look at her and started in on wanting another baby."

"She's welcome to borrow her anytime. Between driving Nate to soccer, Em to preschool, Lindsay to daycare, and Samantha everywhere . . . Is this what it's going to be like? Then the homework . . . it never ends."

"What about a nanny or something? Just having an extra person around might help a bit. You can't do it all, believe me it's impossible."

"Yeah . . . It's an option. Not yet though, there is time."

Skeeter paused before replying. "It's been rough for a while . . . How, is everybody holding up?"

**1111111111111111111111**

Samantha ducked her head, as she slunked through the hallway. Ignoring the stares and chuckles of the other kids, she made her way to her math class. I hate them, she thought, I hate them all. Jordan told everybody, and they won't leave me alone. Why do they have to keep staring at me?

"Hey gorgeous," a leering voice called from behind her. "Want to go out sometime?"

Samantha gritted her teeth, and tried to ignore him. Stalking down the hall, she took a steadying breath. They don't know what really happened, she thought, just what he told them. No one will believe me. I can't tell. My Mom is dead, my Dad's in jail . . . and no one here will believe me. They don't know me.

"Come on beautiful, lets party."

Trying not to cry, she slid into her seat to wait for class to start.

**1111111111111111111111**

Kenny paused at Skeeter's question, and couldn't come up with an answer right away. How is everybody? I wish I knew, he thought, thinking back to the day that Lindsay was born.

*****One Month Ago*****

"Kenny," Jimmy called, as he came back into the waiting room in a daze. "What happened?"

Kenny shook his head. "I don't know . . . It's a girl, she's beautiful. So small though . . . she's almost a month early. Max . . . something's wrong, she's bleeding and unconscious. Shit, there was so much blood."

Jimmy swallowed. "Hey, she'll be okay. Max is pretty tough. She has everything to live for."

"Yeah," he agreed, not sure what to believe. "I mean it's Max. She has to be okay."

"Excuse me," a nurse called from the doorway. "Mr. Lacos? Would you like to meet your daughter?"

"What? Yeah, of course," Kenny replied. "She's so small . . . she's okay?"

"We're going to keep her in observation, but so far everything is normal," she replied. "If you would come with me?"

"Go," Jimmy cut in. "I'll wait here. Max would want you to."

Kenny nodded, and followed her down to the nursery as his thoughts drifted around. Come back to me, Honey, he thought, as the nurse handed him his newborn daughter. She's beautiful, look at that hair. We'll have to come up with a name for you, but we'll wait for your Mom for that. She already loves you so much, and she hasn't even met you yet. And you'll love her too.

**1111111111111111111111**

"Suction," Jill snapped. "Right there, go! Hold on, Max, hold on."

"BP is falling," Dr. Meadows. "Get the paddles ready people!"

Come on, Jill prayed, as they frantically tried to repair the damage. Don't do this Max, there are too many people that need you out there.

"She's coding!"

**1111111111111111111111**

"She's perfect," Kenny said rejoining Jimmy in the waiting room/ "Anything yet?"

"Not yet," Jimmy replied, seeing the dark circles under his friend's eyes, as Jill walked wearily into the room. "Jill?"

"The hemorrhaging was severe," she began, "And she lost a lot of blood before we stopped it, during and after giving birth. We gave her a transfusion, and tried to stabilize her blood pressure."

"Jill?" Kenny asked, trying not to be scared by the tone of her voice. "She pulled through, right?"

"Her heart stopped," Jill continued. "But we got it going again. She's stable now, but the next 24 hours are critical."

Kenny let out a deep breath that he didn't know that he was holding. "Stable? Thank you."

"There's more. She had a lot of internal damage, that we patched up the best we could. We need to give that time to heal before we know the full extent of it," Jill added. "But don't concern yourself, or her with that now. They'll be time after the 24 hours are up."

"Is she sleeping? Can I go see her?"

"Follow me."

*****Present*****

"Everybody is holding up fine," Kenny answered, "Samantha has been a little moody and stuff, but . . . it hasn't been easy.

Skeeter nodded. "If you guys ever need anything, I'm around. Linda loves being around babies, maybe it'll convince her that we don't need anymore."

Kenny smiled despite his mood. "Lindsay is rambunctious."

*****One Month Ago*****

"Hey you," Kenny said softly, seeing Max stir into consciousness. "How you feeling?"

"Hmm."

"Ssh. You don't have to say anything, Honey. You scared me there for awhile, but you had a beautiful girl. She's perfect, Max, so beautiful. She looks like you."

"Kenny?"

He smoothed her hair off of her face. "Ssh. Just rest. I know Jill wants to take a look at you. Linda and Laurie are watching the kids, so don't worry about them."

"I had the baby?"

"You don't remember? Yeah you did, wait until you see her, Honey."

"Hmm . . . I feel so strange, like I'm not really here. Am I?"

"You're here, and you don't know how happy that makes me. You've gotta stop scaring me like that," Kenny replied softly, as he held her right hand in his. "You were amazing."

"I don't want to interrupt," Jill called from the doorway. "Do you mind if I come in? I see that my patient is awake."

"She is," Kenny said with a grin, feeling eternally grateful that she was. Hell, if she wants to go back to work, I won't have a problem with that now. Just as long as she's okay.

"How are you?" Jill asked in way of greeting, taking in her groggy patient. "I'm glad to see that you're awake. Are you in any pain?"

"No . . . what happened? I had the baby? It's too soon."

"She is fine, Max. I promise you. I'll bring her in when you're more awake, but I want to concentrate on you now. And there are some things I need to go over with you," Jill said in her doctor tone. "If you're up to it, I want to do some scans and check some stitching."

She nodded slightly. "Okay."

She felt Kenny squeeze her hand, as Jill made her way to the other side of the bed. "Okay, squeeze mine now. Max? Did you hear me?"

"I . . . can't. Jill? Why can't I?"

Jill pulled a pen out of her pocket, and trailed it down her leg. "How about that? Anything?"

"No . . . what's wrong?"

"Jill?" Kenny asked, trying to keep the fear out of his voice, as he noted his wife's limp arm on the other side of the bed. "What's going on? Why can't she feel that side of her body?"

Jill swallowed. "I want to run some scans before I say anything for sure. Sit tight, don't panic."

*****Present*****

"Samantha! Hey Samantha," Zach Brock called, as she ducked around the corner. "Wait up?"

"What?" she snapped. "Why can't you all just leave me alone?"

"I, uh, just wanted to say hi. You seemed kind of upset this morning, with Jordan and Bobby this morning."

"I'm sure you know what they're saying, so why don't you just leave me alone? You're a sophomore, why would you want to be seen with me. The freshman slut?"

"Jordan and those guys . . . they're jerks. Don't let them get to you that way."

"What do you know?"

"Nothing! I know what Jordan has been saying, that's all! About you too!"

"Just leave me alone! I don't want to talk about it!"

*****One Month Ago*****

"Don't touch me!," Samantha cried, rolling away from Jordan as her fist connected with his chin. "Leave me alone!"

"Tease! Whore! Get back here."

"No," she cried, kicking him in the groin again, and sprinted up the stairs. "Don't you ever come near me again! I hate you!"

"You bitch! You'll regret this!"

*****Present*****

"Okay, okay," Zach said backing off slowly. "Um, if you want to sometime, we don't know each other very well, but I'd listen."

"Why?"

"Your Aunt and Uncle are like family to me . . . so that makes you family too. And family sticks together. Let me be your friend."

Samantha swallowed slowly. "I can't tell anyone . . . you won't believe me. I don't want to cause anymore trouble."

"I guess things are hard at home and stuff," Zach replied, pausing as the bell rang. "With everything that happened."

"Yeah, I uh have to go to class," Samantha stumbled. "Bye."

*****One Month Ago*****

"You had a stroke," Jill verified a few hours later, trying to stay professional after she read the scans. "A minor one, but there are some lingering effects."

"A stroke?" Max gasped. "A stroke? How? I mean those only happen to old people . . .Kenny?"

He squeezed her hand, and tried to process what he had just heard. "Jill? A stroke? How?"

"A minor stroke," Jill repeated quietly,. "And there is a strong chance that the paralysis is just temporary. With some physical therapy you'll be as good as new."

Max just shook her head. "I couldn't of had a stroke. This is just some strange nightmare? Just let me wake up now."

"It's not unheard of at your age, although it isn't a common occurrence. You lost a lot of blood, Max, and your body and you have been under a tremendous amount of stress lately. It all contributed, but with the right therapy and time you should be fine," Jill replied, seeing the fear in her friend's eyes.

"Should be?"

"Nothing is definite, and you know that," Jill countered. "But I want to start rehabilitation as soon as possible, probably the day after tomorrow. I want you to give your body some time to rest before hand. And I want to give you time to meet your daughter."

"That's not fair," Max argued, as a nurse knocked on the door. "Oh."

"She's probably hungry," Jill added, "I'll leave you three alone for awhile. If you need anything page me."

"You okay?" Kenny asked, as he lifted their new daughter into his arms. "You heard her, you're going to fine."

"That isn't what she said. Probably? I can't feel half of my body Kenny. I can't move it. I can't even hold her."

"Hey, Honey," he said gently sitting on the edge of the bed, as he noted her pained expression. "We'll do it together, okay? And you will be able to. Soon."

Max tried to gulp back the sob rising in her throat, but couldn't. "Why?"

He didn't say anything, as he wrapped his arm around her. Pulling her tightly against his side, he whispered. "I don't know why . . . Ssh, don't cry, Honey. We'll figure this out."

She shook her head, and looked back up at him. "Uh, huh. She's beautiful . . . Yesterday is such a blur, I don't remember it."

I do, he thought, trying not to visualize all of the blood he saw yesterday. "Yeah she is because she looks like you. Look at all of that hair."

Max smiled despite her fears. "She has your eyes."

Kenny kissed the top of her head. "You have any names in mind?"

*****Present*****

"She's coming home soon?" Skeeter asked. "I know she's been in rehab for the last month, but she'll be home for good soon?"

Kenny nodded. "Yeah. She's going crazy in there. Always an over achiever, and hell I miss her. The kids miss her. We go and see her all of the time, but it's not the same. I don't care if she's limping around . . . she hates using a cane or a walker in front of me and the kids."

"It's just temporary."

"Yeah, we both know that. Damn stubborn pride of hers. Friday tentatively."

*****One Month Ago*****

Kenny paused in the door of the physical therapy wing of the hospital before saying anything. Looking at his wife clad in sweat pants and a t-shirt, with her hair up off of her face. At least she got some feeling back in her arm, he thought, and I hope it's a sign of things to come. She's too stubborn to roll over and die. Sighing internally, he thought back to the night a week before.

"Aunt Maxie had a stroke? Why?" Samantha demanded, coming out of her pouting. "Is she going to die too?"

"What's a stroke?" Nate asked.

"It's, well, it's kind of hard to explain," he answered. "When she had your cousin, she lost a lot of blood, and it's making it difficult for her to do some stuff. She's going to be in the hospital for awhile, but we can go visit her and stuff."

"Mr. Lacos," a nurse said, cutting into his thoughts. "You can go and see your wife now. We're done for the day."

"Thanks," he said, pushing the door open. "Hi, Honey."

"Hi."

"You look like you're making progress."

"Yeah. I can move my foot."

"You can't rush it. You know that."

"Yeah."

Kenny joined her carefully on the bench. "Hey. Max, talk to me here. What's going on?"

"What's going on? What do you think? Look at me for god's sake."

He cupped her face in his hands. "I am damn it. You know what I see? The same incredible woman I fell for 12 years ago."

"Bullshit. I'm a damn cripple."

"You're not a cripple," Kenny argued, trying to keep his temper in check. "Don't even say that. There are a hell of a lot of people a lot worse of then you. It's temporary, Max. What would Caro think of you giving up so easily?"

"Don't."

"Don't what? Yeah, you're hurting. No shit. You're not the only one. The kids are confused, and they need to see you. They don't understand what's going on, and they can't lose anyone else right now. Stop being so selfish, and let them."

"I'm being selfish? What are they going to think when they see me like this? How is that going to effect them?"

"Stop. They need you Max. Samantha and Nate . . . you've been their family a lot longer then me. They need to know that you're okay. Em needs her Mom. Lindsay needs to get to know her family. Hell, I need you. Stop pushing us away."

"Pushing you away? Why would you even want to be near me? I can't feel it when you touch me . . . what if we can never . . . What if I can never hold them again? Everything thing I took for granted . . . What if it doesn't come back?"

Kenny caught the hitch in her voice. "We'll find a way. It's only been a week, Honey."

*****Present*****

Max looked forlornly out the window of her hospital room, as she leaned against the walker. God I hate this thing, she thought, wishing she could fling it across the room. Although it's great that I can actually walk again. Releasing her grip slightly, she applied more pressure on her left leg. Swaying slightly, she steadied herself again, as she heard someone come in the room behind her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jill asked. "You're supposed to be resting. You had a full day of therapy, and too much exertion can make it worse. You've made tremendous progress, and you don't want to hinder it."

"Okay, okay. I just thought I'd give it a try. This thing makes me feel about 80 years old."

"You probably won't need it for much longer," Jill countered. "Plus you get to go home on Friday."

Max nodded. "Yeah . . . which is great, but I'm kinda nervous. Everything is so . . . just so easy here. There's this routine everyday. Home is chaotic, I love it, but it is. I don't know if I can handle it like this."

"Have you two thought about getting some help? At least until you're back to a hundred percent?"

Max shrugged, knowing the both of them were very skittish about leaving the kids with someone else. "Not really. I don't know how Kenny has been doing it by himself though."

Jill smiled. "I never pictured him as the Mister Mom type."

"I don't know how he'll feel about being called that. He's a great Dad, but I know he's been spread kind of thin these days. I miss them though, seeing them here isn't the same. And since Lindsay went home, it's just weird being here."

"Well you're well on your way out of here," Jill said. "And when you are I expect you to take it slowly. Your therapists know what is best for you."

"So they keep telling me."

"Sit," Jill demanded, pointing toward the bed, "You're moving around pretty well."

"I'm trying. My arm is almost fully recovered, it's just this damn leg now."

"It'll come back," Jill trailed off. "I see that you have a visitor. I'll be back later. Samantha make sure your Aunt doesn't get up again."

"I'll try Dr. Brock," Samantha said hoarsely, dropping her gaze.

"I didn't expect to see you until later," Max said, easing back down on the bed as she studied her niece. "Samantha? What's wrong?"

She shook her head, "I don't want to bug you. I shouldn't have come."

"Hey," Max said softly, forgetting about her problems. "Samantha, whatever it is you can tell me. We're family remember?"

"But you're hurt."

"Physically, yeah," Max agreed. "So please don't run off because I'm not up to chasing you quite yet. What's going on?"

Samantha joined her cautiously on the side of the bed. "I'm so scared. Aunt Maxie? I don't know what to do anymore. I want to forget, but I can't. And everyone knows, or at least they think that they do. They just know what he said. I don't know what to do!"

Max nodded, as she tried to ignore the gnawing feeling in her gut. "About what?"

She shook her head. "Nothing even happened! I can't stop thinking about it though! He tried . . ."

"Tried what?"

Samantha tried to clamp down on her tears, but couldn't as she buried her head against Max's chest. "He tried to rape me!"


	2. Bodies

-"Maxhugged a shaking Samantha against her chest, and smoothed her blond hair back. Ignoring the tingling in her still gimpy left arm, she held the trembling 12 year old close. Raped, Max thought, she's just a kid. No . . . I'll kill whoever hurt her like this. She's a kid damn it.

"Hey, Sweetie. It'll be okay," Max said gently. "There isn't anyone here but us. No one is going to hurt you. You can tell me what happened."

"I don't want anyone to know," Samantha whispered. "Please. The kids at school, they all believe him. They won't leave me alone now. I just want it all to stop."

"What are they doing?"

"They say . . . they say dirty things. Like how they want to take me out, do things to me. Stuff I've never done! He wanted me to, but I got scared and tried to leave! Then he said . . . that we did it. He tried to make me . . ."

"Who? Samantha," Max said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "We'll make them stop."

"He said he'd hurt me if I told! No one will believe me!"

"I will," Max promised. "It's the only way to make him stop."

Samantha choked on her sob, as she clung on tighter. "I can't. I can't. I want someone to help me! And you're in the hospital, and no one is there."

Max smoothed back the trembling girl's hair. "Yes there is."

She shook her head wildly. "Kenny? Why? He . . . I don't know him. I'm afraid."

"He won't ever let anything bad happen to you," Max promised softly, knowing that. "Neither will I. If this boy tried to hurt you, we'll stop him. He'll never come near you again."

"Will you talk to him? I don't think I can."

Max nodded, as Samantha buried her head in her chest and began to sob softly.

"Hey, Max," Kenny called, pausing in the doorway. "Whoa."

She glanced up at him, and shook her head. Samantha whirled around to see him, Nate, Emily and Lindsay gathered in the doorway. Leaping from the bed, she wiped her tears with the back of her hands quickly.

"Sammy? Why are you crying?" Nate asked. "Are you hurt too?"

"No, I'm just," Samantha trailed off. "I need to go to the bathroom."

"Mommy!" Em squealed, clamoring up onto the bed. "Mommy! Hug!"

"You got her?" Kenny asked, knowing that her arm was still a little weak, as he nodded toward the shut bathroom door. "Is she okay?"

"No," Max said carefully. "Um, give her a few minutes. Please? Later?"

"Okay. How about you? You look like you're moving around pretty well."

"I'm trying. Umph. She's getting so big," Max said, shifting on the bed, so Em wasn't crushing her. "What are you feeding her? Rocks?"

"Hey. My cooking isn't so bad."

"I like it when we go to McDonalds," Nate piped up. "It has the best breakfasts. Is Samantha okay?"

"I'm fine Nate," Samantha said quietly, emerging from the bathroom. "I . . . it was girl stuff."

"Sammy sad," Em declared, reaching out for her cousin. "Sad."

She shrugged. "Yeah . . . Do you want to show your Mom the picture we drew earlier?"

"Pretty," Em declared, holding it out. "For Mommy."

"Yeah, it is," Max agreed, looking at the scribbles in front of her, before looking back at a pale Samantha.

"Can I go for a walk?" Samantha blurted out. "To the vending machine? I need a snack. The food we've been eating . . . it hasn't been that good."

"Me too," Nate chimed in. "Please? We'll take Em too."

"Okay, okay," Kenny agreed, shooting his wife a look. "Go. You remember where it is?"

"Yeah, we're not babies," Samantha retorted, taking Em's hand in hers. "We'll be back soon."

"You want to tell me what that was about?," Kenny asked, watching them leave. "Here, I think she's hungry."

Max nodded, as she began to breast-feed. "Has she been acting funny lately?"

"Max."

She sighed. "She told me that someone tried to rape her."

******222222222222222222**

"What is this?" Skeeter asked in a hushed whisper, looking at the corpse in front of him. "I've never seen anything like this."

"Jesus Christ," Pete croaked. "How . . . how did this happen? How could it?"

Skeeter shook his head. "I don't know . . . we've gotta call this in. Get Carter and his team out here. This is . . . unreal."

Pete nodded. "I'll go make the call."

**222222222222222222**

"What? Max, Honey. You're serious?" Kenny stammered, joining her on the bed. "What did she say?"

Max sighed as she repeated what Samantha told her earlier. "She didn't say who, but she's really upset Kenny. Can you blame her?"

Kenny stroked her hair absently, as he watched her feed their daughter. "No. When? How? Why didn't she say anything before? Does she know how important time is to this?"

"I don't know. She didn't say before you guys showed up."

"Well I'm going to find out. No way is that bastard getting away with it. She's 14. A kid, Max."

"Kenny," she called softly, shifting Lindsay slightly. "Wait, please? I know how much you hate this particular crime, but she's your niece."

"So want me to nothing? Like we did with Josh?"

*****One Month Ago*****

"How is she coping?" Skeeter asked, three days after her stroke. "And you? I know this has to be a shock."

"She's been better," Kenny replied. "I'm worried about her. Hell she's 34, and just had a baby. She can't even enjoy it because she's worried about spending the rest of her life handicapped."

"Max is a fighter, and that's something she has proved over and over again," Skeeter replied. "I have a feeling that she'll blow through rehab, and everything will be back to normal for you two."

"I'm glad you're here," Jimmy said, interrupting. "How's everyone doing? Do you have a minute?"

"Lindsay gained a few ounces. Max is . . . holding her own," Kenny settled on. "What's going on?"

"The DNA results are back," Jimmy began, not sure how he should say this. "And I'm sorry. It was Josh you buried. I wish it was better news, especially with all that happened recently."

Kenny felt like someone kicked him in the gut as he processed what Jimmy just told him. "You're sure? The picture? The letters? How?"

"We're still working out the details," Jimmy said carefully. "But according to Danny's letters he felt guilty for killing him. He sent Rowland one of the pictures that he and Jen took to . . . well they were going to send them to you two periodically. I don't know why he sent it. I know the timing on this is awful, but I thought you would want to know."

We lost him twice, Kenny thought, shit. Even that little bit of hope . . . how do I tell Max?

"You okay?" Skeeter asked. "I'm sorry, I wish it was better news."

"Yeah," Kenny agreed reluctantly. "I need to go and get some air."

*****Present*****

"That's not fair," Max retorted. "What happened with Josh . . . we couldn't of done anything. You know that. You're not the only one that misses him, Kenny."

"Yeah? Maybe we couldn't of done anything with Josh. I'm not about to let anything else happen like that to our family. Not a chance in hell."

Max swallowed. "I know you want to protect us Kenny. Losing Josh, not once but twice . . . I'm still not sure how we are supposed to get past that. And I'm not asking you to do nothing. She's your niece though, so don't go in there in full out cop mode. We're her family."

Kenny sighed, joining her on the bed again. "You believe her."

"Of course I do," Max replied quietly. "You didn't hear her . . . she's terrified Kenny."

"I want to rip his limbs from his body," he trailed off, as the three of them came back. "It looks like you guys bought out the machine."

**222222222222222222**

"I've never seen anything like this before!" Carter exclaimed, as they loaded the body into the van. "Can you believe it?"

"Contain your enthusiasm," Jimmy responded dryly, "What do you think?"

"Female, probably between the ages of 16 and 24. Without prying all of the bandages off, I can't tell for sure," Carter replied. "Mummification? This is a new one Jimmy. This is big Jimmy. Very big."

"Skeeter, Pete," Jimmy called. "Go through missing persons, look for females fitting that age group. Hopefully we'll have some more details to go on soon."

**222222222222222222**

Kenny paused outside Samantha's room, and wasn't exactly sure how to approach her. Swallowing, he thought back to when Max had been raped and his sister. And she's a kid. At least he didn't actually do it. Max is so much better at this stuff then me. Be patient, he told himself, and just listen to what she has to say.

"Samantha," he called knocking. "Can I come in?"

"Hi," she said, looking at the ground. "Okay. Um, did Aunt Maxie talk to you? About me?"

"Yeah. I don't know what happened, but I'd like you to walk me through it. Whoever this boy is, he won't be getting away with it," Kenny promised. "But you have to tell me what happened first."

"I don't want everyone to know. School is bad enough, but they don't really know what happened. He keeps saying that we . . . that we had sex. He wanted to, but I . . . I got scared. I didn't want to. He tried to make me, but I ran away," Samantha stumbled over her words. "He grabbed me, but I kicked him. And ran up the stairs. He said that . . . he would hurt me if I told anyone. Will he?"

"No. We won't let him," Kenny promised gently. "When did this happen?"

"A month ago. When Aunt Maxie had Lindsay," Samantha whispered. "And then a stroke. Everything was so messed up then, and I didn't want to make it worse."

"No matter how bad things are, ever, you can talk to either of us. That's what we're here for," Kenny replied. "I know it was rough after Max had the stroke, and it still is. For all of us."

"Did she have the stroke because of us?"

"What? No, of course not. Why would you even ask that?"

"I mean me and Nate. I know that you guys didn't want to take us in, and I haven't been the nicest person. I don't know."

"We wanted you and Nate to come and live with us," Kenny answered quickly. "It wasn't something we planned on, but we're so glad that you're both here. What happened with Max, we're still not sure what caused it. She had a rough labor with Lindsay, lost a lot of blood, that's it."

"But she went into labor early. Could we have caused that?"

"These things just happen sometimes," Kenny replied carefully. "And they're no ones fault. All we can do is learn from them and move on."

Samantha nodded slowly. "What am I supposed to learn from Jordan almost doing that to me?"

**222222222222222222**

"It's just amazing," Carter muttered, before turning to the occupants of the room. "This body is maybe three days old, but the skin! I didn't expect that when I removed the bandages. It's just gone, peeled off. Sort of like you do with a cucumber."

"Carter," Jimmy stated. "What else?"

"A lot. She wasn't dead when the skin was removed, so you can imagine . . . and the killer used a variety of tools to do it. Over here, on this arm it looks like a serrated knife. And down on that leg, it could be some sort of razor. And look at the torso, down by the belly button? That one circle of skin left? Something is carved in there, what do you think that the symbol means? Some sort of cult maybe, or a calling card," Carter replied breathlessly. "Also, the heart is missing."

"The heart?" Skeeter asked. "Just the heart? It was taken for an organ transplant, why just the heart? Wouldn't all of the organs been harvested?"

"Probably," Jimmy conceded. "The carvings and the missing skin has me more concerned, it reeks of a cult."

"We've found several women that fit this description," Pete chimed in. "Dark hair, average height, and that have been missing for a few days. I'll add in something about cults, and see what I get."

"Good. Carter I want a blood type and a DNA analysis as soon as possible," Jimmy added. tearing his gaze away from the skinned body on the table. "I want this guy stopped."

**222222222222222222**

"Welcome home," Kenny said softly in Max's ear, watching her carefully and knowing how much she hated the cane. "I've missed you, we've all missed you."

She balanced tediously, as she smiled back at him. "It's good to back. The hospital . . . yeach. Even going back for rehab doesn't sound that appealing, even though I get to come home afterward. It'll be nice not having everything I do noted down on a chart, and I can't wait to get rid of this cane."

"You're gonna still take it slowly," Kenny countered. "I mean it. I know you."

"Okay, okay," she replied pausing giving him a look. "How's Samantha?"

"You sure you're up for it? You just got out of the hospital."

"I'm sure, although could we sit down first? This whole walking thing . . . well I won't be taking that for granted again."

"She's doing okay," Kenny answered, as they made their way over to the couch. "Getting it all off of her chest made a lot of difference. I talked to Oslo yesterday about this Jordan kid, and what he's been saying. He can't do anything about the rumors, no one can stop kids from talking. This Jordan kid though, he sounds like a piece of work. Apparently this isn't the first complaint about him."

"What kind of complaints? Has he done this before?"

Kenny nodded. "Yeah. It sounds like he forces himself on younger girls, he's 16, and tries to . . . well you know. There's never any proof. There isn't now. Just he said, she said."

"That's not good enough. We're just supposed to wait until he does it again? The next girl might not be so lucky," Max shot back. "How can Oslo just let someone like that stay in school?"

"He's not. Would you let me finish, Honey?"

"Go ahead."

"He's suspended until the matter is cleared up," Kenny continued, taking her hand in his. "And the school is looking at the other girls that have brought this up before. The inappropriate touching, looks and comments."

"It takes something like this for them to actually do something like this? Why?"

"You know why," Kenny countered, "They don't want a big criminal investigation, and it's us. They know we'll get one if we push for it. Oslo is keeping the names out of it, while the school board looks into it."

"If this Jordan is trying to rape girls, he deserves to be prosecuted," Max replied quietly. "They're kids Kenny. It makes me sick when I think about what he tried to do to Samantha."

"You're not the only one. But Max," he said pausing giving her a long look. "Do you want to put her through the investigation and the trial? You know what it's like, and she's already been through so much. Let's get her into counseling, and it should do her a world of good. You know how hard it is to get a rape charge to stick, much less an attempted one."

"You just want him to get away with it?"

"Don't pick a fight now," he retorted, seeing that look in her eye. "You know I don't want him to get away with it. We've gotta let the school do it's thing, and I think the best thing for Samantha might be for her to move on, and get some counseling."

Max nodded slowly. "This Jordan . . . I don't want him getting near her ever again. Or any of those kids."

"That's why Oslo suspended him."

"I hope his parents can keep him reigned in at least. Who are they anyway? Is he going to be put in some sort of therapy?"

"You're supposed to be taking it easy," Kenny countered, trailing his fingers through her hair. "I don't want you stressing yourself out over this, or anything else. Just concentrate on getting better."

"You don't want me stressing myself out over my niece almost being raped? Do you really think I can do that?"

"Max. C'mon. You know what I mean. This is the best way to handle it, and you know it."

"I know, I know," she trailed off. "It's just . . . rape. It stirs up some memories that I would rather forget."

"Me too," he agreed, trying not to picture that night. "But we have to, Honey."

**222222222222222222**

"Samantha! Hey! I've been looking for you," Zach called, jogging down the hallway. "Wait up!"

"Hi," she said flatly, ignoring the stares of the other kids. "What do you want?"

"I heard that your Aunt is coming home from the hospital today," Zach said carefully. "I think that is great."

"Yeah . . . I've missed her."

"How are you doing? I know you've been ignoring everyone, but I know what jerks they all can be."

"Yeah they can. Um, I told my Aunt and Uncle what happened."

"You did? Wow, I'm glad," Zach said surprised. "I don't know what really happened, only you two do, but I think it'll make a difference."

"Yeah. You don't see Jordan here today, do you? I guess it gives everyone something new to gossip about."

"You mean he just isn't absent?"

"No . . . he's suspended. The school board is looking into what he did to me, and what he did to other people," Samantha said quietly. "I just want everyone to forget about it, and for him to go away. I'm still scared of his friends and stuff."

"Don't be," Zach promised. "I know they're jerks and stuff, but I won't ever let them hurt you."

"What can you do?"

"Uh, well my Dad is the sheriff. That might scare them off."

"No! Then everyone will find out. I want to wait until the school talks to the other girls that he did this to, or something like it before we file a report."

"How do your Aunt and Uncle feel about that?"

She shrugged. "I think Uncle Kenny wants to kill Jordan, and . . . I overheard my parents talking one day about Aunt Maxie. About her being raped. Is that true, I was sorta afraid to ask."

Zach paused. "Yeah . . . it was awhile ago."

Samantha nodded, and processed the new information. "Okay. Do you think she'll tell me about it? I know Jordan didn't actually do that to me, but he tried. I'm kinda scared to go to a therapist, but if she's been through it . . . do you think I should ask?"

"I think you should," he answered, as the bell rang, "Talk to you later?"

**222222222222222222**

"Look at this," Skeeter called, dropping a sheet of paper on Jimmy's desk. "Does it look familiar?"

"Where did you get this?" Jimmy asked, studying the drawing in front of him. "And what is it?"

"It's a satanic symbol, and it looks like an exact match for the one we found on our victim. I did some research, and it is used for worshiping a snake demon. Who is said to give great power to his followers."

"And does he require human sacrifices, particularly hearts?"

"Bingo."

"Find out anything else you can on this cult. What do they call themselves?"

"Moneviles," Carter exclaimed. "They're a recent cult, in the last 10 years or so, that sacrifice humans so that they can raise hell on earth. And I was wrong about the girls age, she is much younger then I first thought. I'd put her age at no more then 15 years old."

"Only 15? Okay, I want to run a missing persons report again for missing teenagers," Jimmy declared. "And I want more information on this cult, whoever they are."

"They've got quite a following, and they're usually quite vocal," Carter chimed in. "At least they have been in the past. They've been blasted by the media and other churches for their ritual sacrifices, and several of their high priests have been put in prison over it. I wouldn't be surprised if this is an underground version of it."

"Moneviles," Jimmy repeated, not liking the taste of the word. "Let's get moving on this thing, and I want an id on the girl soon. Anything else Carter?"

"Yes. I found semen," he declared, as the other occupants of the room groaned. "And some bruising that suggests that she was raped before she was killed."

**222222222222222222**

"How are you doing?" Max asked softly, as Samantha joined her on the couch later that day. "Is everything all right at school?"

"It's better," Samantha trailed off. "Without Jordan there, but . . . the other kids are so mean. Except for Zach. He said he's going to watch out for me."

"He's a good kid," she agreed. "I talked to Mr. Oslo this morning, and I know he is talking to some of the other girls who have said Jordan said or did something to them."

"What if nothing comes of it? Aunt Maxie," Samantha said quietly. "I heard . . . did someone rape you too? I heard my parents, and I asked Zach . . . Did they?"

Max paused before replying. "Yeah, someone did. A few years ago."

"Is he in jail now? What did you do?"

"He was in prison and a mental hospital for awhile. He's dead now," Max replied carefully. "I know how much it hurts."

"But he didn't even do it," Samantha said softly. "He tried . . . why am I still so scared?"

"He tried to force himself on you, and tried to get you to do something that you didn't want to."

She nodded slowly. "If we put him in jail, everyone will know what happened to me. I don't want everyone to think of me as the girl who cried rape. But I don't want Jordan to hurt anyone else."

"You're very mature for being only 14," Max replied, studying her niece thoughtfully. "What do you want to do then?"

"I don't know," she trailed off, as Nate bounded into the room.

"We're back," he exclaimed. "With pizza! The gooey kind!"

Max winced a bit at his screech. "Nate, I just got Lindsay to fall asleep."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Max said, seeing the boy's stricken expression. "I mean that."

"I'm hungry," Samantha declared. "Let's go wash our hands Nate."

Max watched them go, before carefully rising to her feet. Stupid leg, she thought, balancing with the cane. I can't wait until I can toss it.

Kenny watched her before saying anything right away. "You want some help?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm good. Really. Shit!"

Crossing the room the quickly, Kenny knelt down beside her. "You okay? Nothing broken?"

"I'm fine," she promised, looking away. "I just . . ."

"I know. Here, grab my hand."

**222222222222222222**

"Ssh, little girl. Don't say word," the voice whispered. "It'll just make it hurt more."

"What are you doing to me?" she cried. "Please just let me go!"

"You're a part of something bigger now. You want that don't you? It's a honor to be here, to serve him."

"Please!"

"Ssh. Close your eyes. This won't hurt a bit."


	3. Sophmore

-1"Stop pushing so hard," Kenny said, watching his wife struggle to slide her shoes on. "Let me help you, Honey."

"I got it. There," she said, feeling triumphant. "I hate this."

"Max."

"I know, I know. Stop looking at me that way. Go to work. I'll be fine. I can go to rehab, pick the kids up, hell I might even try cooking dinner. Go. This satanic cult thing needs more attention from you then I do," Max replied, as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm okay to drive, Kenny."

"You promise that you'll call if you need anything. I'm going to worry about you."

"I'm not one of the kids," Max countered. "I'm 34 . . . god, I am getting old. Really, everything will be fine. I love you, now go."

Kenny's grin broadened, and he kissed her quickly. "Okay, okay. And you're not old."

"Oh, sorry," Samantha said, rounding the corner with Emily's hand in hers. "I didn't mean . . . Are we going to be late for school?"

"You're going," Max said, shooting Kenny an amused look. "Now."

**333333333333333333**

"The victim is Allie Meade, 14 years old from Windsor. She's been missing for two weeks," Carter confirmed. "Her parents identified her this morning."

"That's so young," Skeeter trailed off. "That's gotta be rough seeing her like that. What is wrong with these psychopaths out there?"

"I sent the semen off," Carter continued. "And some hair and skin samples I found under her nails. We'll have more information soon. Any more word on this cult?"

"They haven't been very active in this area, and they've been quiet for a few years. They got a ton of bad press when it came out that they did human sacrifices, although that was never confirmed," Kenny said, trying not to worry about Max. "This might do that though."

Jimmy nodded. "There hasn't been a case with this MO in more than 10 years, which was when the first big story about the Moneviles broke. The pictures of the victims, and there were nine, are strikingly similar to ours."

"We're looking into her friends, activities, her family," Skeeter added. "Apparently she was a loner, kind of shy. Really into her art, and apparently she's a really talented sculptor. Her parents, well apparently the father is an alcoholic and the mom just put ups with it. She didn't have the most idyllic home life. I'll look more into it."

Kenny nodded in agreement. "Did her parents say anything? Had she been behaving strangely before she disappeared? Anything? How about similarities with the victims from 10 years ago?"

"They didn't even file a missing persons report for 10 days," Jimmy answered. "They were caught up in their own problems, and ignored her. We'll keep digging, and this guy isn't getting away."

**333333333333333333**

"How did therapy go?" Jill asked, pushing the door open. "Not that I'm checking up on you or anything. You look exhausted, are you getting enough rest? And food? You also look too thin."

"Hi Jill," Max said, lowering herself to the bench in the physical therapy room, "I'm sleeping and eating, really. I promise."

"Is Kenny taking good care of you?"

"He's trying," Max trailed off, rubbing her leg, as she tried to will it to work properly. "I just want everything to be like it was before. When did life get so complicated?"

"Are you okay?"

Max shook her head. "It's just so much sometimes . . . Can I talk to you about something? I need someone objective, and I need to keep it private."

"Talk to me. What's wrong? You? Kenny? The kids?"

"Samantha," Max stated, not wanting to invade her privacy. "She told me that someone tried to rape her . . . at school. He didn't, but . . . the school is looking into it. Apparently this kid has done stuff like this before, but . . ."

"Max! You have to report it. Does Kenny know?"

"Of course he does. The school wants to look into it first before anything happens. The kid is suspended though."

"How is she doing? Who is it?"

"Good, although she doesn't want anyone to know. Not that I can blame her for that one. And it's Jordan Bradshaw."

"Do you have any idea who that is?" Jill asked, as Max shook her head. "He's the chief of staff at this hospitals son."

**333333333333333333**

"Look at this," Skeeter said, dropping a file on Kenny's desk. "Interesting isn't it?"

Kenny flipped through the pictures in front of him, before skimming the articles quickly. "Very. He moved here two years ago? That is definitely time to set up another cult, and start killing again. Why didn't anyone tell us that a cult leader moved to town? That's something that we should know."

"He was never convicted," Skeeter countered. "And therefore we weren't informed. You would think that someone would have recognized him and reported it. Garret Vessella, age 42. Currently residing on 56 Sycamore St, Rome WI."

"You want to go take a ride?"

**333333333333333333**

"You don't scare us," Jake taunted. "You think that the police can stop us? You don't know who you're dealing with, little girl."

"Leave me alone," Samantha spat, trying to duck around Jordan's friends. "I just want to forget all of this."

"Too late for that," Phil added. "You really screwed up now, and we're waiting for you."

"Ooh scary," Samantha shot back, trying not to show her fear. "I need to get to class."

"You're not going anywhere," Jake declared, blocking the hallway. "We're not done with you yet. You think this is bad? No one believes anything that you're saying. Probably not even your crippled Aunt. And no one ever will."

"Shut up!" Samantha yelled. "Just leave me alone!"

"Not yet," Phil added. "You're coming with us."

"I'll scream."

"We like it like that."

**333333333333333333**

"I'm going to talk to Oslo in an hour," Max replied. "I'm assuming that he knows who Jordan's father is, and I don't care if he is the Pope if he tried to do this."

Jill regarded her friend thoughtfully before replying. "Are you being objective? I mean with everything that you've been through . . ."

"Probably not," Max agreed, trying not to be offended by Jill's implication. "She's been through a lot too, and I don't want to make this more traumatic for her then it has to be."

"You've changed," Jill said smiling. "And I mean that it a good way. Everything isn't so black and white anymore, and you seem more . . . I can't really put my finger on it."

"Life has changed," Max agreed. "Some days I wonder how I got to be 34, married, with a house full of kids. I never thought I had a domestic bone in my body, although I still burn most of the stuff I try to cook."

"Well at least you try," Jill said with a smile, as she gestured to Max's leg. "How is the leg doing? I've heard you've been making good progress."

Max sighed. "I wish it was better. The arm came back pretty quickly, and I hate this. I never realized how much I took for granted before. Even the simple things, like putting shoes on, or picking up Lindsay and not being terrified that I'm going to drop her."

**333333333333333333**

"I don't know what to tell you," Garret Vessella said, as he let Kenny and Skeeter in. "I was involved with the Moneviles years ago, but not anymore. Their motives and beliefs changed over time, and I wasn't comfortable with it anymore. Yes, I was a cult leader, but once the values and ideals changed, I left."

"Really?" Kenny asked, not believing the man for a moment. "How did the beliefs change?"

"We started of worshiping a snake god," Garret began. "And we did do animal sacrifices in his honor. We wanted to draw on his power and strength, but some members got power hungry. I'm sure you've read the articles about the human sacrifices, and a group of Moneviles broke off and formed their own group."

"That you didn't have anything to do with," Skeeter finished. "Why did you move here?"

"I wanted a fresh start, although I knew I wouldn't be able to hide my past forever. I did some horrible things as a Moneviles. My followers and I lived in abject poverty on a ranch, and we did take advantage of people. Children went hungry, money was squandered, and women were taking advantage of. I'm not a saint, but I never killed any girl. Not now, not ever."

Kenny and Skeeter exchanged a look, as Kenny replied. "We'll be in touch."

"What's going on over here?" Oslo asked, rounding the corner to see Jake, Phil, and Samantha, "Boys?"

"Nothing," Jake said shrugging, shooting Samantha a deadly look. "We were just talking."

"You're all late for class," Oslo countered. "And your friend Jordan is already suspended, and if you don't want to join him, I suggest you go now."

"We're going," Phil muttered, "Come on Jake, algebra is waiting for us."

Oslo glared at the two older boys, as they sauntered down the hall before turning back to Samantha, "Were they bothering you? I know that their Jordan's friends, and they probably know what's going on with him. If they give you any trouble, tell me, or your Aunt and Uncle. I won't have my students being harassed."

"They were just being jerks," Samantha said quietly. "I didn't mean for all of this happen. I never was like this in my old school, and I never wanted to cause Aunt Maxie any trouble, after she's been so good to me and Nate. I just want it all to stop."

Oslo nodded. "We'll get to the bottom of this, and I want to meet with your Aunt and Uncle about the next step in this process. Until then, are you okay to go to class?"

"I'm fine."

"Stay with a friend when you walk these halls, and there will always be a teacher in the halls."

**333333333333333333**

"What did Oslo say?" Kenny asked later that night, joining Max on the couch as she breast-fed Lindsay. "You look exhausted by the way. You're not straining yourself, are you?"

Max shot him a mock glare. "I'm not even going to answer that. As for Oslo . . . are the kids all still upstairs? I don't want them, especially Samantha, to hear this yet."

"They are. Samantha is doing fractions with her walkman on, Nate's building something out of legos with Em, and I don't think Lindsay understands yet. Go, unless you want to take a nap."

Ignoring his last comment, she shifted Lindsay before replying. "Something, some sort of confrontation happened between Samantha and two of Jordan's friends in the hall today. Did you know that Jordan is the hospital chief of staff's son by the way? Anyway, Oslo and the school board talked to some of the other girls. There were seven."

"Seven?" Kenny cut in, both surprised and disgusted. "That's how many it took for the school to do something about it."

"Yeah. Would you let me finish? Five of them complained about looks and comments Jordan and his friends gave them. Stuff about their bodies, and how they wanted them. One other said that she went on a date with Jordan a few years ago, and he tried to force her to take her shirt off at a dance. She laughed it off then because they were both 13, and thought he got carried away on their date. You know teenage stuff, but I guess he didn't take the rejection to well because he broke up with her the next day, and her locker was defaced."

"Bastard."

"No shit. The seventh though . . . Her name was Hailey Hobbs, do remember it? The thirteen-year-old who hung herself last year?"

"You can't be serious?"

"She dated this Jordan, and remember her parents statement? About how she changed, and got all quiet and moody when she was involved with some boy?"

"And the note," Kenny picked up. "It said something about not being able to cope with the change that was coming. Not being worthy? Something like that."

Max nodded slowly. "And she was pregnant when they found her, right after she broke it off with him. That was all kept out of the news and stuff, but whatever happened to her family? Maybe they know something else?"

"You sound like a cop. Now Samantha? He obviously likes to be with younger girls, and possibly sleep with them? Shit Max. He's never getting near her again. I'll kill him first."

"I'd help. There isn't anything concrete to prosecute with. Sexual harassment? If he's raping preteen girls, he needs to go to prison. There isn't anything, and I don't want to wait around until he does it again."

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know, but I don't feel comfortable sending Samantha to school knowing that these boys are going to harass her. It's not fair."

"We don't have the money for private school honey, especially now," Kenny replied. nodding toward Lindsay. "I think that she's done."

Max couldn't help but smile, as she gazed down at her drowsy daughter. "She's beautiful . . . but loud."

"I think we're in for some trouble when her and Em get older," Kenny replied. "They both have a stubborn streak in them."

Max nodded, as she thought of her two little girls. "And I want them safe when they go to school. The same way Samantha deserves to be."

**333333333333333333**

"Give me strength. Give me life. Let her flow into me," the voice whispered, as he raised the knife. "Her life is mine, oh great one! For you!"

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered. "I never did anything to you! Any of you! Please! Let me go!"

"It's an honor, see your friend over there? It's for a greater purpose! You've been chosen!"

"I don't want to be!"

"No choice for you little girl. Shut up!"

**333333333333333333**

"Hmm," Max mumbled, as Kenny kissed her neck later that night. "That feels good."

"The kids are all in bed," he whispered back, not too sure how she felt about their sex life these days.

Max turned to look at him, wishing that she could balance without the cane. "Are they?"

He leaned in and kissed her gently, and pulled her against him. "You want to go to?"

She kissed him back, cautiously, as most of her weight was on him now. "Hmm . . . yes. Kenny?"

"What?," he asked, as he continued to kiss her. "Hmm, you feel good. And smell good."

Max tried to think, as he lifted her into his arms. "We haven't, um, we haven't done this . . ."

He paused to look at her. "No, we haven't. And we don't if you don't want to honey."

Max shook her head, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I want to, you don't know how much I want too."

"But?"

"What if I can't?"

Kenny studied her carefully before replying. "We won't know unless we try. We can take it slowly, Max. What?"

"I don't want to disappoint you . . . we've always been good at this. I don't know what to expect."

"You never have disappointed me," Kenny replied, placing his hands on her waist. "I love you, Honey, and I want you. And I have a feeling that we'll always be good at this, even when we're eighty."

Max smiled despite her doubts, and kissed him gently. Kenny tightened his grip around her, as she groaned. Falling back onto the bed, they lost themselves in each other.

**333333333333333333**

"Jesus Christ," Pete whispered. "This is sick! Who the hell is this guy?"

Skeeter tore his gaze away from the two bodies sprawled out on the ground in front of them. "I don't know . . . Carter is on his way. I can't believe this. Jimmy's calling the FBI in."

"This is too sick," Pete repeated, looking down at the two skinned bodies tangled together in the dirt. "They're just children, who could do this?"

Skeeter shook his head. "I don't know. Let's just mark the scene, and hope we don't find anymore."

**333333333333333333**

"You were amazing," Kenny whispered, trailing his lips down her jaw bone. "I've missed holding you like this."

Max felt herself blush, as he pulled her closer to his chest. "I love feeling your hands on me."

He kissed her neck, and rolled on top of her. "Oh really? You want to go again?"

She smiled back at him. "If you think that you can handle it."

Kenny groaned, as the phone rang. "Think we can ignore that?"

"Not likely, with everything going on," Max countered, as he snatched the cordless. "Go on."

"Hello?" Kenny answered, as Max continued work her way up his chest with her mouth. "What?"

He pulled Max closer to his side, as he listened to Jimmy explain about the two new bodies. She glanced up at him, and tried to decipher his pensive expression. Lying her head on his chest, she tried to ignore the dread building up inside of her. And I can't do anything about it, she thought, rubbing her lame leg. At least not yet.

Kenny looked down at his wife in his arms, and the last thing he wanted to do was go look at corpses in the woods. "Yeah, I'm coming. Give me a half an hour."

"It's not good," Max confirmed, as he hung up. "What's going on?"

He paused as he looked at her, reluctant to get out of their warm bed. "They found more bodies, two more. Skinned the same way as the first one, and they're most likely under 15. This isn't good Max."

"And you have to go," she added, wishing he would stay, but knowing why he couldn't.

"Max."

"I understand," she interjected. "You know I do. Go."

"I know you want to come, Honey," he offered, throwing the down comforter off. "Soon, you know that."

Max bit her tongue, as she watched him get dressed. "Be careful."

"Get some sleep," he said, kissing her again. "I'll set the alarm before I leave. I love you."

**333333333333333333**

"Where's Uncle Kenny?" Nate asked the next morning. "We were going to build a snow fort today."

"He should be home soon," Max replied, leaning against the counter. "He got called into to work last night."

"Is it about," Samantha trailed off, not wanting to scare Nate or Emily. "You know?"

"What?" Nate asked. "Sammy?"

"Nothing. Girl stuff," Samantha replied vaguely, as the phone rang. "Do you want me to get that?"

"Please," Max replied, as Emily spilled her milk all over the table. "Em!"

Snatching a towel from the sink, she tossed it over the spill before it could move on to the floor. Gritting her teeth in frustration over her battered body, she lowered herself to a chair before attempting to clean the rest.

"Aunt Maxie," Samantha said, handing her the phone. "It's for you."

"Thanks," Max replied, taking the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, it's me," Kenny replied. "You okay?"

"Fine," she replied, "Hold on a minute. Em, don't cry. It was an accident. Here."

Kenny tried not to smile as he pictured a typical morning at home. "Uh, Honey?"

"I'm here," Max replied, relieved when Em and Nate went into the other room to play. "What's going on?"

Kenny sighed, as he told her about the two bodies. "Pete did some research on the human sacrifices that the Moneviles did before, and this is a repeat of that pattern. Honey, I know we had plans today with the kids . . . I have to stay."

"I know," she replied softly. "You have an obligation to these girls, and to stop this killer before he does this again. I'll miss you, and so will they."

"I'd rather be home with you," he said softly. "Tonight okay?"

"Good luck," she replied. "I love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

Clicking the phone off, Max sighed at the mess in the kitchen. Looking at the soft fall of snow outside, she wondered what she was supposed to do with four kids in the snow.

**333333333333333333**

"This is a Rome school ring," Kenny verified. "Almost every high school student has one."

"It narrows down the search though," Jimmy replied, wondering how a teenager was even capable of that. "We need to get a list of anyone who purchased one in the last few years. This one looks new, and don't they put a graduation date in them? Carved in? Look here?"

"Interesting," Kenny replied, trying to shake of his guilt of abandoning his family today. "That makes this kid a sophomore?"

"That's Zach's class," Jimmy added, feeling sick. "Fifteen years old, maybe sixteen? How does this happen? What's wrong with kids."

"A sophomore," Kenny repeated. "One who likes to take advantage of young girls. You better sit for a second. I gotta tell you something."


	4. Cooking

-1"What!" Jimmy practically yelled, as Kenny filled him in on the Samantha situation, and what Oslo had said. "You're just getting around to telling me this now? What the hell were you thinking?"

Kenny gritted his teeth. "I was doing what the school wanted, while they looked into it. We didn't want her to have to go through anything else that might traumatize her. She's been through a lot, and there wasn't any proof."

"Do you believe her?"

"Yeah. A 14-year-old couldn't make this up, and you didn't see her," Kenny trailed off. "But what's the point of dragging a 14-year-old through this if there wasn't anything to go on. We're going to get her some counseling, while the school deals with this Jordan Bradshaw kid."

"That's a start," Jimmy conceded. "Is she okay? How did Max take it? I know it's a sensitive subject for her."

"She's doing okay, and just wants Jordan's friends to leave her alone. Max is dealing with it pretty well, but I wish she didn't have too. Especially now after everything else. I want her to have some peace for once."

Jimmy nodded. "You both have had a rough go of it for a while, but Max is pretty tough. I don't think that she is going to fall apart."

"That's what she keeps telling me, but it kills me to see her struggling like this."

Jimmy nodded. "Tell her to get better quickly. We all miss her around here. Now, I want to know more about this Bradshaw and his friends."

**4444444444444444444**

"The time is coming," a voice rang out. "We need more blood to complete our rituals. We need more girls!"

"I know the one I want," another voice added. "The little bitch is making my life difficult at the moment."

"Is she ripe?"

"She's younger then the others, but her spirit is enviable. She'd be the perfect sacrifice for our God. He'd consume her, and spill his strength onto us. She'd be our crowning achievement."

"You'll need to bring her to us."

"Not yet. She'll be the final one, the one that will push us into greatness and immortality."

**4444444444444444444**

"I'm bored," Nate whined, looking outside at the snow. "Can I go build a fort? Please?"

"Yeah. I'm tired of geometry," Samantha declared tossing her pencil down. "And it's Saturday. We'll put on lots of layers to stay warm, and we'll even take Emily if you want to stay inside with Lindsay."

"Tell you what," Max finally settled on, knowing that they all needed some fresh air after being cooped up inside all morning. "I don't know how good I'll be in the snow, so why don't you and Nate go find some warm clothes. You have to promise me you won't wander off, and come in when you get cold. Em and Lindsay are both sleeping, but thanks for the offer."

"Yea!" Nate cried, jumping up. "I'm going to get my coat!"

"Um, Aunt Maxie?," Samantha asked, lingering. "Are you ever going to be able to walk without a cane again?"

"I hope so," Max replied honestly. "And I'm working on it. The doctors seem to think so, but it's just going to take some time."

Samantha nodded. "I'm scared that something else bad is going to happen."

"Nothing will," Max promised, as Samantha joined her on the couch. "I know life hasn't been great lately, but I won't let anyone hurt you again."

She shook her head. "I'm not even that scared of Jordan and his friends. The really stupid part is that I'm scared of what a lot of those jerks I go to school with will think of me. I don't even like most of them."

"I know the feeling," Max agreed pausing. "After I was raped, the last thing I wanted to do is let people know. It made it seem more real somehow, and I didn't want that. I wanted to forget, and all I could think is that I should have fought harder to get away from him. The thing is sweetie. It's better when people know. They can help you, even if they don't always know the right thing to do or say. There will always be a few jerks who try to make you feel bad, but that's what they are, jerks."

"Did people do that to you?"

"A few," Max trailed off, thinking of Danny's trial. "But a lot of other people made up for it."

"Like Uncle Kenny?"

Max nodded. "Yeah, and he'll be here for you too. Both of us will."

Samantha nodded. "Should I have done more to get away? To stop him? Should I have never even talked to him? Why did he pick me?"

"You did everything right," Max promised. "You got yourself out of a situation before it became irreparable. I don't know why he picked you. Sometimes these things are just random."

"Will I have to see him again?"

"I'll do my best to make sure that you don't have too."

**4444444444444444444**

"Go home," Jimmy told Kenny later that day. "The snow is coming down heavier, and we can pick the rest of this up in the morning."

Kenny looked up from the files on his desk, and nothing sounded better then taking a hot shower, seeing his family, then ravishing his wife. "In a minute. Look at this."

"What?" Jimmy asked, picking up the articles that Kenny had printed off. "That explains the skinning at least, to some degree. Any word back on the knife, ring, or the latest two victims?"

"Carter's still working on them," Kenny verified. "And Skeeter's thumbing through the missing person reports again. Oslo is getting together a list of sophomores who ordered school rings."

"Good, but you're all going home now," Jimmy said. "Keep an eye on your niece if this Bradshaw kid is involved, and keep this quiet."

**4444444444444444444**

"This doesn't taste bad," Samantha conceded, biting into the chicken breast. "I'd give it an eight."

"I'll take that as a good thing," Max replied, as she cut Emily's food for her. "You guys set with everything . . . I think I hear Lindsay. Be right back."

Limping stiffly toward the playpen, she smiled down at her daughter. "Hi there, Sweetie. Eew, you're wet. Come here."

Cautiously lifting Lindsay into her arms, as she gritted her teeth in frustration as they made their way to the changing table. "There."

Leaning up against it, she changed the diaper quickly as Lindsay began to make much happier sounds. Tickling the infant's stomach, Max smiled, as her daughter laughed. It's worth it, she thought, even if I have to use this cane forever, having Lindsay is worth it. I'd even have another, and I'd love to give Kenny another son after losing Josh. Our beautiful little boy . . . I miss him. I'll always miss him.

"You look a million miles away," she heard Kenny say, breaking into her thoughts.

"Just thinking."

He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Sorry about today."

"Hey, you had a job to do. I know how it works."

"You miss it. Jimmy wanted me to tell you to hurry back."

Max smiled up at him. "We never really finished that discussion . . . a lot's happened since then. How's the investigation going?"

Kenny regarded her thoughtfully. "It's going . . . I need to talk to you about something."

"What?"

"Later," he said, hearing a crash downstairs. "I'll go check on that, if you're okay up here?"

**4444444444444444444**

Jimmy stood in the empty office later that night, as reread the reports that had been compiled over the day. Skin the bodies in honor of the snake, he thought, and they want to sacrifice young women right after they give up their innocence? Bastards, sick sadistic bastards. Sighing, he turned his thoughts to Samantha Richardson, and how Jordan Bradshaw tried to rape her.

"I can't believe in coincidences anymore," he spoke aloud. "We're bringing this kid in tomorrow if he ordered one of these rings."

Leaning back against his chair, he continued to read the reports.

**4444444444444444444**

"Hmm," Kenny said kissing his wife. "I wanted to do that all day. Actually I just wanted to be here with you and the kids all day. I missed you."

"I missed you too, so did they," Max said kissing him back. "You want to see what I learned today while they were outside?"

Kenny grinned at her. "Am I going to like this?"

She smiled back at him. "Just watch and don't say anything. Okay?"

"Are you going to put on a show?"

"Sort of," Max said, as she untangled herself from him on the couch, and rose to her feet shakily. Dropping the cane to the floor, she took a tentative step away from him and she concentrated everything on moving her leg. Limping, she made it across the room to the other couch, before collapsing down on it. "I've been working on that one."

Kenny crossed the room to her quickly, and couldn't wipe the grin off of his face. "Max. When did you find out you could do that?"

"All this physical therapy wasn't for nothing," Max said grinning back at him. "It's a start, but it's nice not to feel so gimpy anymore."

"You're perfect," he countered, dropping a kiss on her forehead.

"And you're biased. What did you want to talk to me about earlier? You look exhausted by the way."

"I got to investigate a crime scene, dig through reports about a snake crazed cult, watch Carter do an autopsy, do division with Nate, geometry with Samantha, listen to Em babble, change Lindsay, and I got to see you walk without a cane. It's been a full day, Honey. Oh, and I told Jimmy about Samantha. Don't be mad."

Max pulled back from him slightly, and tried to come up with something to say. "Why? I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"Nope. Just listen okay?," he said, as he filled her in on how Jordan's behavior and how it was similar to the Moneviles cult members. "What do you think?"

"The bastard was going to," Max trailed off thinking of the skinned victims. "He was going to do that to her? Oh god."

"We're gonna stop him. He isn't ever getting near her again. Don't panic."

"I'm not . . . I'm just really pissed. Maybe if we just reported what he tried to do earlier. those other girls might be alive."

"We're not playing the what if game again, Max. We did that enough with Josh."

She nodded slowly. "She was so lucky to get away from him. What are you going to do? What can I do?"

"You're on leave," he cut in. "For good reason, so you are going to stay out of it. Take care of them, Honey, and concentrate on getting better. Let me take care of this one. You've been through enough."

"Don't patronize me," she retorted.

"I don't want you involved in this! It's too dangerous."

"Oh? So now I'm not capable of taking care of myself? I'm not a child, Kenny."

"Yeah, but we've got four here that need you. Max, I can't do this if I have to worry about you too. You're in no condition to go chasing some cult kids. We both know that, and I know that you're more then capable of taking care of yourself. Can we stop fighting now?"

"We're not fighting," Max sighed. "What do you want to tell her?"

"Nothing yet. There isn't any reason to scare her until we know for sure. You okay with that?"

Max bit her lip. "Would she be safer knowing? If Jordan is involved in this, what about his friends? The ones still in school?"

"I think she'll steer clear of them on her own," Kenny replied, pulling her closer to him. "We won't let anything happen to her. I promise you."

**4444444444444444444**

"This is ridiculous," Dr. Jackson Bradshaw blustered. "My son would never be caught up in something like this!"

"Do you know where he was the night of January 8th? That was the night that Allie Meade was killed," Jimmy replied. "And we're not accusing your son of anything."

"Is this because of what the school claimed that he did to your deputy's niece? If it is, you can expect the biggest lawsuit you've ever seen," Jackson replied flatly. "Jordan is a good kid, and he is not capable of this. If you even suggest that he is part of this you'll regret it. I'll make sure of it."

"Don't threaten me Doctor," Jimmy replied, staring the man down and not liking the vibes he was getting from him.

He took a step closer. "I can make things very difficult for your wife at the hospital Sheriff. Don't make me do that."

"Get out of my office."

**4444444444444444444**

"I can't believe that you're cooking," Max said with a grin, leaning against the counter carefully. "It's so quiet."

"I drugged them," Kenny replied, looking her up and down. "You look pretty hot in those fleece pants by the way."

"You should see what's under them."

Kenny tossed the spoon down on the counter, as he turned to look at her. "You're awfully frisky all of the sudden, not that I mind. You wanna go back upstairs?"

She smiled slyly at him. "What about your pancakes?"

He kissed her quickly, and lifted her into his arms before replying. "They can wait. You can't."

"Mmm," she groaned, as he kissed her neck. "Kenny."

He pulled back slightly, and stroked her cheek before leaning in to kiss her again. "Damn it!"

"Shit," Max agreed, as the phone rang and Lindsay's cry pierced the air. "I think that'll wake everyone up."

"Here," he said, tossing her the phone. "I'll see if I can quiet her up before someone thinks the world is ending."

She smiled at him, as he departed. "Hello?"

"Max? I didn't wake you up, did I? How are you feeling?" Jimmy asked, feeling a little guilty at calling at eight on a Saturday morning. "I haven't seen you in awhile."

"I'm feeling fine," Max insisted, steadying herself against the counter again. "And I've been hiding out I guess. What's going on?"

Jimmy paused, knowing how she would balk at too much coddling. "I'm sure Kenny filled you in on the Moneviles. How's your niece holding up?"

"Okay," Max replied, thinking of what Kenny told her last night. "This Jordan though . . . do you really think that he's part of this cult? That he wanted to do that to her?"

"He fits the profile," Jimmy verified. "It isn't for sure yet, so there isn't a reason to worry yet."

Max bit her tongue. "Okay. I hate doing nothing though, especially when it's my family."

Jimmy paused, knowing that she was thinking of Josh as well as Samantha. "I don't want to see you anywhere around here until you're a hundred percent healthy. I don't care if Kenny has to tie you down because your health is the important thing here, Max. That said, we miss you around here, so hurry it up a bit."

That's something else we have to talk about, Max thought, thinking of the conversation she and Kenny had a few days before she went into labor. "I'm working on it, and the less I have to use that cane the better I feel. I assume you're looking for Kenny?"

Jimmy paused. "Yeah. Is he around?"

Max glanced up, as he came into the kitchen carrying a freshly diapered Lindsay. "Sure. Hold on. It's for you. Jimmy."

"Trade?" he asked, taking the phone and passing her Lindsay. "She looks hungry to me."

Max smiled up at him. "Are you sure you just don't want to look at my breasts?"

Kenny grinned back at her, "Jimmy? Hi. What?"

Max glanced up, and tried to gauge his expression. I bet our day together gets wrecked again, she thought, as Lindsay began to feed.

**4444444444444444444**

"Dr. Brock," Jackson Bradshaw called. "I need a word with you."

Jill paused in her rounds, as she turned to look at the chief of staff. "Jackson. It's been a long time since I've seen you here on a Saturday."

"Yes," he agreed. "I've spoken to the hospital board, and we're suspending your privileges immediately pending an investigation into your medical practice."

Jill stared at him like he had lost his mind. "What?"

"I believe I made myself clear. I suggest that you clear out of here before I have you thrown out. Good bye, Dr. Brock."

**4444444444444444444**

"Jesus," Kenny said under his breath, taking in the newly skinned girl sprawled out in front of the statue. "This is the fourth one, in less then a month. He's getting bolder though, leaving her out in the open like this."

"I want a tail put on this Jordan Bradshaw," Jimmy said coming up behind him. "Reports say he got one of those school rings, and his father . . . He seems to be the type that would cover up his son's indiscretions."

Kenny nodded, as Carter and his team loaded the body into the van. "What about this Garret Vessella? Any link between the two of them?"

Jimmy shook his head. "No, not yet. I want to pick his brain some more about the Moneviles and his involvement with them."

Kenny turned away from the body being loaded into the van. "Any word on the second two yet?"

Jimmy nodded. "An id came in this morning. Both are fourteen, and reported as runaways a few weeks ago. Cousins. Kerry Henderson and Jane Roberts, both from Rome."

"Shit."

"Yeah. Skeeter is looking for links between them and Allie Meade."

"And Bradshaw," Kenny added, not liking the stirring in his gut. "Why don't we just drag him in here and scare the shit out of him until he starts talking?"

"I want him cold, that's why we're putting a tail on him," Jimmy countered. "I know you're worried about Samantha, but nothing will happen to her."

Kenny looked away quickly. "That's what I keep telling Max, but it's hard to believe that when these bodies keep turning up."

**4444444444444444444**

Max silently cursed Kenny, as she tried to deal with the two screaming kids in front of her. "Em, sweetie, look at me. You're fine. Look. Here's Cookie Monster. You love Cookie Monster, and he's on the band-aid too. See?"

Em clutched her plush Cookie Monster to her chest, as she watched her Mom stick the band-aid on her leg. "Mama?"

"See," Max repeated, trying to keep the stress out of her voice. "You're good as new, and you get to wear him on your leg."

Emily giggled, as Max tickled her stomach. "Mama, I wanna color."

Max pointed to the box of crayons on the floor, as she hefted Lindsay into her arms and sat back down on the floor. "Over there. Ssh, Lindz. You're not wet or hungry. I'm here. Everything is fine."

Bouncing the girl gently in her arms, Max leaned up against the couch and closed her eyes briefly. Hearing Lindsay's cries subside, she let out of sigh of her own. I want five minutes of peace, she thought.

"Aunt Maxie," Nate called, running into the living room. "Aunt Maxie! I think I broke something!"

**4444444444444444444**

"Nothing so far," Skeeter announced. "At least superficially. No shared hobbies or interests, and they didn't even live in the same town. Physically they were all small girls, but that's about it."

"There has to be something," Kenny stressed. "Something that made them desirable for these sacrifices. Was there anything that tied the victims from ten years ago together?"

Skeeter shrugged. "Nothing concrete. Just the fact they were on the fringes of society, and that they wouldn't be missed right away. All three of these girls, well their parents didn't seem all that concerned when they disappeared."

Kenny nodded slowly, trying not to think of Samantha. "They weren't the happiest of people either, coming from mostly broken homes and stuff. Easy to pick off."

"That describes most teenagers I know," Skeeter said dryly. "It seems that they just find these kids at random, and do this."

"And that makes our job that much more difficult," Kenny finished, as Jill came storming in toward Jimmy's office. "She looks pissed."

Skeeter yawned, as he looked at the clock. "It's way past time to go. You want to get out of here?"

**4444444444444444444**

"He can't suspend you for no reason Jill," Jimmy insisted. "We'll take him to court, and it'll get over turned. There is enough conflict of interest to ensure that."

"Really? I've done some operations and procedures that the hospital has frowned upon," Jill countered. "Jackson Bradshaw has enough sway to make sure that I never practice medicine again."

"He's an asshole."

"He's doing this because you're investigating his son for these murders," Jill stated. "He's trying to scare you off by doing this to me?"

"Jill," Jimmy said, pausing not wanting to lie to her. "Yes."

She nodded slowly. "Don't let him."

**4444444444444444444**

"Hmm, I didn't hear you come in last night," Max mumbled the next morning, as she rolled onto her side.

"I didn't want to wake you up," Kenny replied, hating how this case was keeping him away from her and the kids. "I didn't know how late it had gotten."

"Hmm. I miss you . . . Did you find anything out yet?"

"Nothing that connects the four so far. This sucks Max, especially if it's Jordan doing this."

"Do you think that it is?"

"Yeah. Honey? Are you all right?"

She smiled sleepily at him. "I'm good. The kids were wild yesterday, I think you have the easy job right now. Murders and all."

He stroked her cheek. "I want to be here Max."

"I know. I've never been a housewife before, even if it's just temporary."

Kenny paused, "Yeah. We never finished talking about that."

She looked up at him, "I know you want me to stay home with the kids, you've made that perfectly clear to me."

"I want you safe."

"Kenny," Max replied, sitting up, "I know that. I don't know if I can though. At least without being completely miserable and possibly going crazy."

"Is that how you felt yesterday?"

"Oh, I wanted to kick you yesterday for leaving me alone with all of this," she admitted placing her hand on his chest. "You know I love being a mom and your wife. I'd even have another child, despite what happened last time….I know there was some internal damage that is healing. But I need something else. Can't you understand that?"

Kenny took her hands in his before saying anything else. "Max, Honey, I get it. You're a great Mom, the best I could of ever asked for…You're a great cop, but…yeah, I want you to be a stay at home Mom."

Max bit her lip, and tried to keep her temper in check. "Do you even know me?"

"I know you better then anyone, and I've seen you become this incredibly warm and loving mother over the past few years. I love this side of you. I love you. The kids need you here."


	5. Drugged

-1

"They were pregnant," Carter exclaimed, galloping into Jimmy's office. "The cousins! And this new girl we brought in yesterday. They were all pregnant!"

"They were so young," Jimmy trailed off. "How far along were they?"

"Not very . . . I doubt they even knew. I double checked Allie Meade, and she was too. I can't believe that I missed it. I guess it makes sense if they were all raped before they were killed, but still . . . do you think they had to be pregnant before they were skinned?"

Jimmy shook his head. "They're four for four in that account. So I'd say yes."

"I don't want to interrupt," Skeeter said, knocking on the door frame."But you have to look at this, Jimmy. I think I found the connection among the four victims. Or at least the start of one. We looked into their email accounts. It's amazing what these kids can do on computers today. Anyway, they all logged a lot of time in a chat room called Creatures of the Night. It's a role-playing game. I don't really understand it. Anyway, they all interacted with someone called Venom. He asks them to meet him in a cave in the woods to complete the game."

"Son of a bitch," Jimmy replied. "Where?"

"I don't know, but I've got people working on the computers to see if we can recover some deleted emails. And maybe one of them will give directions to this cave."

Jimmy thought of the expanse of woods surrounding woods. "There are too many to look at now. They're every few feet in the woods it seems. How soon until the emails are recovered?"

Skeeter shrugged. "I don't know. This computer stuff is beyond me. A few days, maybe a week?"

"I want to know as soon as it's done. This is the first real break we've gotten," Jimmy replied, feeling slightly ill at all that was going on. "Keep me informed, and I want all of this kept out of the news. I mean that."

**55555555555555555555**

"Are you fighting?" Samantha asked, looking in between her Aunt and Uncle. "Well?"

"No," Kenny replied, shooting Max look. "We're fine."

"Yeah," Max agreed, forcing herself to smile. "Really."

"My Mom and Dad fought all the time," she trailed off, glancing over at Nate. "You're not going to get a divorce?"

"Where would we live?" Nate chimed in, looking up from his legos.

"We're not getting a divorce," Kenny insisted. "We're not fighting. Everything is fine."

"Daddy, up," Emily cried, throwing her arms up in the air. "Daddy?"

Max bit her tongue to keep from smiling, as she watched Kenny sweep Em up in the air. He's a great Dad, she conceded, I'll give him that. Groaning internally, she placed a squirmish Lindsay in her playpen. I don't want to fight with him, she thought, why do we keep doing this to each other? Rising slowly back to her feet, she felt his eyes upon her. Looking back over, she gave him a small smile, as he placed Em back down on her own two feet.

"Can we build another fort today? The first one got covered up in the blizzard," Nate asked, jumping up. "Or do you have to go to work today?"

"We can do that," Kenny trailed off, not wanting to go anywhere at the moment. "Why don't you grab your coat and stuff?"

"Can we have a snowball fight too?" Samantha asked, slamming her math book shut. "We never got this much snow in Boston. It all got plowed over."

"I think Em and I can take you two," Kenny said with a grin. "Go on, get your stuff."

He watched the three of them scamper off, before crossing the room to his wife quickly. I can't keep fighting with her, he thought, shit, she is pissed though.

"I'm sure you'd like to chuck a snowball at me about now," he said cautiously.

She didn't say anything right away, but held his gaze. "I'd like that a lot."

"Come on then, "he trailed off. "Lindsay's passed out, we can put the monitor on the porch. It'll be fine, and you'll be able to pelt me with snowballs if you want."

"I'm not mad," Max stated, not sure she really believed that. "Confused. Can you just leave me alone for awhile?"

"We're ready," Nate called, bouncing back into the room.

"Nate, hold on," Samantha said quietly, as she observed her Aunt and Uncle glaring at each other in the middle of the room. "Lets go back upstairs for a while. The snow can wait."

"No, it can't," Kenny cut in, not liking the feeling of Max slipping away from him. "We're going to have a good time. Go on out. I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay," Samantha agreed quickly. "Come on Nate, Emily. Let's go build a snowman."

"Can we finish this later?" Max finally asked, after they left. "We're not going to fix anything now."

"I don't want to fight with you," Kenny conceded, not liking the fear he saw in her eyes. "Yeah, later then."

**55555555555555555555**

"Look at this," Carter called beckoning Jimmy and Skeeter over. "It was so far up there, I almost missed it. I'll have to recheck the others to make sure, but look. It's so odd."

"What?" Jimmy asked, as Carter held up the piece of paper. "Is it a note?"

Carter nodded. "Or something. It's kind of gooey and bloody. Hold on, it says something that I can't make out. I'm going to get it cleaned, then maybe it'll give us some direction."

"Hey," Pete called, knocking on the morgue door. "We got something off of the computer. A note from this Venom to Allie Meade, a.k.a. Luster. It's very informative so far. God bless these computer wizards."

"We're coming," Jimmy said, trying not to feel to hopeful. "I want to know what's on that note as soon as you know Carter. Skeeter, lets go."

**55555555555555555555**

Max smoothed back Emily's hair, as she put her to bed. "Good night, Sweetie."

"That's three down," Kenny called cautiously from the doorway. "Nate just passed out in his bed."

Max nodded, just as cautiously. "I guess you tired them out in the snow. You guys looked like you had fun."

"It would have been more fun with you," he added, as she made her way slowly over to him. "You're moving around pretty well."

"I'm trying."

"What are we doing, Max?"

"I don't know . . . I don't want to fight. Kenny, I don't even know what to say."

"I know."

"What now?"

He reached out to stroke her cheek gently. "We'll figure it out."

Not liking the vague statement, she sighed. "I know what you want and…I'm not sure I can do that. Can we table it for now?"

Max and the kids, Kenny thought, they are all that matter to me. She…I can't handle watching her almost die again. "Okay."

**55555555555555555555**

"She went to meet him on October eighth," Skeeter spoke aloud, as the reread the email. "The night she was killed."

"In the woods," Jimmy finished. "This place though, these directions . . . They don't make sense to me."

"Do you think that it's part of this role playing game?" Skeeter asked slowly. "Words or phrases that they used?"

"Probably," Jimmy conceded, rereading the email in front of him. "What do you bet that there are similar sayings on the paper that Carter pulled out of the fourth girl?"

"I'd say it was probable," Skeeter agreed. "Pete is monitoring the chart room, looking for this Venom, and I'll put him on alert for some of these phrases."

Jimmy nodded. "We'll run a search on them too, hopefully something will show up."

"It has too."

**55555555555555555555**

I don't want to go to work today, Kenny thought, pausing in the kitchen doorway. Max doesn't know how lucky she is to be able to stay home with them, even if it's just temporary. Hell, I don't want it to be temporary. We've gotta finish that talk sometime. She's a natural at this…Look at her.

"Why couldn't it have snowed on a school day?" Samantha grumbled, thinking of going back to school with all of those jerks. "It's not fair."

"They'll be plenty of snow days, believe me," Max replied, not really wanting to send her off to school. "Then you can go to school until July."

"July?" Nate yelped. "That's summer!"

Max tried not to laugh at his startled expression. "Don't worry about it yet. Go get your stuff. We're going to be late. And you Miss. Emily, lets get your shoes on."

"Hey you. I didn't hear you get up," Kenny said, laying his hand on her shoulder.

"Morning," Max said, a little of unsure what to say. "I know you don't have to go to work until 11, so you might as well slept in."

"Thanks. Uh, you've got everything under control down here?"

"I'm getting the hang of it . . . God bless the genius who came up with cereal."

"Maybe someday they'll make it so you don't even have to add milk . . . What are you up to today?"

Max shrugged. "I'm going to drop them all of at school, swing by physical therapy this afternoon, and lunch with Laurie and Linda. Nothing exciting. You?"

"Work and stuff," he trailed off, studying her thoughtfully. That's what I want for her, easy, simple, not chasing down cults. "I'm not going into 11. You want to go get something to eat after you drop the kids off?"

"Okay," she agreed slowly, as the other three bounded back into the kitchen. "Sounds good."

**55555555555555555555**

"We've been watching Jordan Bradshaw, but it doesn't look like he's left the house much," Pete said, nodding toward the brick building. "Would you look at that?"

"Interesting," Skeeter mused, watching the boy make a beeline for the car in the driveway. "Wonder were he is going?"

"I say we follow," Pete replied. "It's the first time he left the house in days . . . since we found the fourth girl."

"Dana London," Skeeter confirmed. "Fourteen years old, from Rome. The media is going nuts now. Lets go."

**55555555555555555555**

"Excuse me? Are you Maxine Lacos?" a voice said, as Max came out of physical therapy. "I've been meaning to have a word with you."

"Do I know you?," Max asked carefully, sizing up the man in front of her.

"Dr. Jackson Bradshaw," he said flatly. "I've been meaning to have a word with you, especially after one I had with Dr. Brock."

This isn't good she thought, glancing down the empty hall. My next life I'm coming back as a rock. "What would that word be?"

"You have a smart mouth. My son did nothing to your niece. Nothing. He wouldn't touch trash like her. Whatever the police are trying to pin on him is ludicrous, and I know it all started with that little tramp."

Shit, he sounds like my Dad, Max thought. I wonder what he said to Jill. "You really have no idea what you're talking about."

"Shut up. I'm not done yet," he snapped. "Do you have any idea who I am? What my connections are? All of you are making a dangerous mistake here."

"Please," Max retorted. "Do you have any idea what you sound like?"

"I can make your life very difficult little girl," he growled. "I'm already working on getting Dr. Brock's medical license suspended. What should I do to you? Or to your family?"

Max dropped her tone to match his. "You're not intimidating me at all. I've dealt with bigger assholes then you. I see where your son gets his self righteousness from."

"You won't speak of him! You're not worthy of that!"

I wish I had my cane to smack him with, Max thought, not liking where this was heading. "Is that all you wanted to tell me?"

"Watch your step because I'll be keeping my eye on you."

**55555555555555555555**

"It's a picture," Carter declared, slamming the plastic bag down on Jimmy's desk. "Look!"

Jimmy exchanged a look with Kenny before replying. "I can see that . . . What is it?"

Carter shrugged. "Think it's a creature of the night? I found a web page on this game, and this looks strikingly similar to some of the drawings. See the thick lines and dark eyes. Almost all of the pictures look like that, and this one has fangs. I'd say it was a vampire."

"So our killer thinks he's a vampire?" Kenny asked. "Or he wants to be one?"

"Vampires don't eat skin," Carter offered.

"There aren't any vampires," Jimmy cut in. "Whatever game he's playing to lure these girls . . . it obviously started in that room. And this Venom hasn't been in there since Dana London was killed."

"Maybe he already found someone else who interested him," Carter offered. "Or he knew that the girls' computers had been confiscated?"

"And that we would find the emails," Kenny finished. "So he found a new way to find them . . ."

Jimmy nodded, knowing he was thinking of Samantha. "It's not going to happen. What about the other girls? Any drawings?"

"No, I double checked. This is the first."

"We're going to keep working on it. No one else is going to die."

**55555555555555555555**

"What is this place?," Pete asked, looking around the grove of trees. "Where the hell are we going?"

"Shut up," Skeeter asked. "And keep your head down. This might be our first real break. Would you look at that?"

Jordan walked to the center of the grove, and kneeled in a circle of rocks. Bowing his head. He began to mumble under his breath.

"What the hell is he doing?" Pete whispered. "Shit!"

Jordan raised the knife, as he pulled the squirming kitten out of his jacket. "This should subside you for now, great one. I'll bring you a better gift soon. For you."

Skeeter turned his head, as the knife slit the cats belly and he heard the boy laugh.


	6. Stabbed

-1"He killed a cat?" Jimmy asked. "Do you remember how to find this place?"

Skeeter nodded. "Yeah . . . It was so out in the open though. It doesn't seem like the type of place where you would take a teenager to kill her."

"Maybe they didn't do it there," Kenny replied. "They could have met there, and once he had her, he could have taken her anywhere. This isn't a big place."

"It didn't have that stench of death either," Pete put in. "Like when blood soaks into the soil?"

"We're going back out there," Jimmy declared. "We still have a few hours of daylight left. I want the area around this grove searched. I'm betting he didn't take them too far away to kill them. Lets go."

**66666666666666666**

"Well that's something," Max mused aloud, putting all of her weight on her left leg and walking slowly across the living room. "It's a little easier now . . . At least something good happened today."

Kenny's going to freak, she thought, if I tell him about what happened today. Go way into overprotective mode, but the guy was so psychotic. What happened with us? I swear in my next life I'm coming back with a rock. A nice, boring, rock.

"Look, I got a 100% on my test," Nate cried, bounding into the room. "On division!"

Max forced herself to smile. "That's great, I know you studied hard for it. Good job."

"Can we put it on the fridge?"

She nodded, and followed him slowly into the kitchen. Can I really do this, she thought, can I really be a stay at home Mom? Damn Kenny for even putting this idea into my head . . . still, it's been okay. Good even, being able to be with Lindsay all day, Em after preschool, and Nate and Samantha after school. I can't believe I'm even considering this. This is never what I wanted. Groaning internally, she knew that they had to talk.

**66666666666666666**

"Fresh blood," Jimmy said, kneeling down on where Jordan killed the cat. "Where did he take it when he left?"

"Over there," Pete pointed. "He tucked it under his coat, and then buried behind those rocks."

"I'll get started on the excavating," Carter interjected, walking his team back there. "What do you bet the knife marks on the cat match the ones on the girls?"

Jimmy nodded in agreement, as he motioned to the woods. "Kenny, Skeeter, come with me. There is a group of caves about a half mile from here that we're going to take a look at. We're burning day light people!"

"He didn't bury it very deep," Carter trailed off, looking down at the shallow grave. "And it wasn't buried alone either. Hold up a minute Jimmy. There are a couple of animal carcasses here, and this cat was just tossed on top of a mass grave of them."

"Keep digging," Jimmy instructed, as the smell hit him. "I want to know what's down there Carter. Radio us if you find anything else. We're going into those caves."

**66666666666666666**

"Aunt Maxie?" Samantha asked hesitantly from the doorway. "Can I talk to you? If you're not too busy?"

Max shot her a quick grin, as she tucked the letter that her Mom sent her all those months ago back into her book. "Of course you can. What's going on?"

Samantha took a deep breath before joining her on the couch. "Can they hear us?"

"Emily and Lindsay? I don't think they understand much," Max trailed off. "Why? Is everything okay at school?"

"They're leaving me alone," Samantha conceded. "Um, I heard a rumor though. I don't know if it's true or not . . . But I want to know. You'd know, right? And you would tell me?"

"What are you talking about?," Max asked carefully, knowing despite everyone's best efforts the press got its claws into the story. "Sometimes rumors are just rumors. They don't always have to mean something."

"Those girls who disappeared and killed . . . some from my school. I heard that someone took all their skin off, and people are saying it was some cult. And Jordan. Is he going to do that to me too?"

"Oh, Sweetie," Max said softly, "He's never going to hurt you. I promise he won't."

"Is he doing this?"

Max paused, not wanting to lie to her. "I don't know . . . That's what Kenny and everyone else is working to find out. And they will. No one else is going to die."

Samantha nodded slowly. "Are you two fighting because of me?"

"What? No, of course not," Max insisted. "We fight because . . . sometimes we just do."

"Is that a grown up thing? I mean my Mom and Dad fought, but they never told me and Nate why. Do adults not like to talk about it with kids?"

"You're pretty smart," Max trailed off. "Samantha . . . Are you okay? I know life has been tough for a while."

"I'm fine. I'm promise."

**66666666666666666**

"I think we found it," Skeeter said, looking around the dark cave. "What the hell is this place?"

"It looks like a torture chamber," Kenny trailed off, looking at the chains on the wall. "That looks like blood over there."

"And there," Jimmy added. "That's a pentagram too, and over there . . . What's that circle of rocks?"

"They talked about a sacred circle in the Moneviles," Skeeter interjected. "That their god would rise from when enough sacred blood was spilled. It doesn't look so sacred to me."

"These carvings on the wall too," Kenny added. "Snakes, other reptiles, and some sort of figures. It looks like their carving each other up in their carvings too. Then feeding them to the snakes . . . this is twisted."

Jimmy took one more look around the cave, before radioing for back up. "We're doing a sweep of this place. I want everything documented. We're going to get this guy."

"Over there," Kenny said pointing, walking toward the back of the cave. "Would you look at that . . . Who are all of these people?"

"And who dropped them on their heads when they were kids?" Skeeter added joining him. "Whoa. I'm glad that I didn't have a big lunch . . . Shit."

Jimmy came up behind them, and tried not to blanch at the pile of shed skins. "Carter's on his way. It's not all human. Still . . . He's going to need a bigger team."

"Why would they keep it?" Skeeter trailed off, trying to control his churning stomach. "It's skin . . . Look, it's all dead and flaky. It's a sick trophy to keep."

"This whole thing is sick," Kenny agreed, looking around the cave as the back up and Carter arrived.

Jimmy nodded in agreement, as everyone moved in.

**66666666666666666**

"Mom? Are you okay?" Zach asked walking into the living room. "Mom?"

"Zach. I didn't hear you come in," Jill trailed off, as she looked up. "How was school today."

"Fine. I have a big test in biology next week," he replied. "It's weird there now. Everyone is talking."

Jill nodded. "That isn't surprising. Given all that has been happening around here lately. Did you know any of the girls who disappeared?"

"Not really. They were a couple of years younger then me," Zach said looking away. "Has Dad said anything? I mean kids are saying it's Jordan Bradshaw and his friends. Is it? I mean does Dad think it is?"

Jill shook her head. "He's looking at all possible angles, like he always does. How well do you know Jordan? He's not a friend of yours, is he?"

"No," Zach insisted, looking away. "He's kind of bully, and not to bright about it. I've heard things too . . . that he likes to date younger girls and do stuff to them."

"Like Samantha Richardson?"

"Yeah. She's a nice girl, Mom. Really pretty and smart, and she isn't afraid of him. Any of them."

"You sound like you have a crush on her."

"Mom! She's 14!"

"A very mature 14," Jill teased, pushing her concerns about her job out of her thoughts for a moment, "But still 14, and she's had a lot of upheaval in her life recently. You're 16, Sweetheart, and that is a big age difference right now."

"I don't want to date her. I just like her that's all. I want to be her friend!"

Jill smiled. "Well I'm glad. She is a nice girl, and she should have a friend like you. You should invite her over sometime."

Zach nodded. "I might . . . Why aren't you at work? Are you sick?"

Jill sighed. "Your father and I have been meaning to talk to you about that. Have a seat, and I'll fill you in."

**66666666666666666**

"Someone had a few too many drinks tonight," Skeeter said, giving Max a grim look, as he supported a slurring and stumbling Kenny. "Sorry about that, but hey you're looking good. It's great to see you walking again."

"Thanks," Max said, trying not to laugh at piss drunk husband. "Thanks for bringing him home . . . What were you guys drinking anyway? Grain alcohol?"

"Hey, it was a rough day," Pete interjected. "Where do you want us to put him?"

"Um, the couch is fine," Max replied, not wanting to wake the kids up. "I'm going to get a bowl or something in case he pukes."

"I got it," Pete said, heading toward the kitchen. "Aren't you supposed to be resting too?"

Max groaned. "I'm not broken. What happened today?"

Skeeter grinned at her. "Apparently not. You're sure you want to know? It wasn't pretty, and you're . . . well you're on leave for a reason."

"Yeah, maternity leave," Max countered, watching Kenny doze off.

"And how is Lindsay?" Skeeter asked, changing the subject, and nodding toward Kenny. "Someone is a really proud Dad. I never thought I'd see the day . . . The pictures don't do her justice."

Max couldn't help but smile. "She's beautiful, a screamer though. Don't change the subject either."

"Only if you sit," Skeeter conceded. "You need to take care of yourself better then this."

"You're all driving me crazy," Max replied, joining him on the other couch. "Especially him."

"It's only because we care," Skeeter countered. "We found the spot today where the girls were killed. You know the grove road, the one that leads of into the woods? Well there are some caves there, and . . . well that was the spot."

"God," Max said softly, seeing why they all had gotten drunk. "It was bad?"

"Very," he replied. "It had that stench, you know the one. And it had all these carvings on the wall, and skins. The girls and animals, just piled up. It was horrid, but it gave us some leads at least, and we've got the area staked out. We're getting closer."

"How . . . I mean, how did you find it?"

"We followed Jordan Bradshaw there . . . and he killed a cat."

"A cat? Did you pick the son of a bitch up?"

"No law against killing a cat, and he didn't go into the cave. He stayed in the woods, in this circle of trees. He buried it there, on top of a pile of animal carcasses."

"What's going on in this town? I mean seriously . . . And these are children."

"I wish I knew," Skeeter agreed. "Are you going to be all right here?"

"Of course," she replied, following his gaze over at her passed out husband. "Thanks for bringing him home Skeeter. I owe you."

"Come back to work soon, and I'd be forever in your debt. We're short staffed as it is."

"I'm trying to," Max replied, walking the two men out. That is a conversation I'm not looking forward to having. "Thanks again."

**66666666666666666**

"What's going on?" a voice whispered in the darkness. "How could you let them find it? It's a sacred place, and it's been ruined! Ruined by your incompetence!"

"I didn't know! I went there to gather my strength! I didn't see them!"

"Fool," another voice chimed in. "Do you know how close we are to being discovered. They know where we found the girls, and we need a new way!"

"I have one! She'll be perfect, and this is all her fault anyway. I wanted to save her, cherish her, but we need one now. It's almost time."

"We'll get her," a voice boomed from the corner. "Everyone will gather, and we'll do our sacrifice. We won't be stopped this time."

"Never," all the voices agreed.

"Now, we must punish him for his mistake. Come my son."

"Please. It won't happen again!"

"I know that. Look at me!"

The boy looked up, just as the knife entered his stomach.

**66666666666666666**

"Max," Kenny groaned the next morning, hearing the noise around him and he realized he was on their couch. "Shit, my head."

Max tried not to giggle at his expression and the way his hair stuck up all over his head. "How are you feeling?"

"I wish I was dead," he answered, groaning again. "What the hell was I thinking?"

"I heard it was a rough day," Max replied. "Uh, Skeeter told me what you guys found yesterday. He brought you home last night."

"Ugh. You look like you're about to laugh."

"You smell like a brewery."

"Is that a hint to go take a shower?"

"I've never been that subtle," Max replied, joining him on the couch. "Sorry you had to see all of that yesterday. It didn't sound good."

"It wasn't," he agreed. "I'm glad that you didn't have too."

Max ignored the bait. "I'm sure you are . . . Maybe this will be the break that you're looking for."

"Yeah," he agreed, looking at her bleary eyed. "I don't want to go back in today. I feel like I'm gonna puke. What?"

"I've got to tell you something," Max trailed off, thinking of her conversation with Jackson Bradshaw. "It can wait though. Go shower and stuff, you'll feel better. And smell better."

He regarded her skeptically before replying. "You okay?"

"Yeah, go," she replied, as Nate and Em came bounding into the room. "Or you'll probably won't get a chance to later. Hi guys."

"Mama," Em cried, crawling into her lap. "Daddy! Stay!"

"In a minute," he promised, tousling Nate's hair as he left and shooting Max a look. "I'll be back."

Max shook her head as he left, and snatched the phone up as it rang. "Hello? Can you hold on a second? Em, you're crushing me."

Shifting Em to her other hip, she looked over at Nate who was laughing with Lindsay. "Hi? Are you still there?"

"Max?," Jimmy asked. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah, sorry," she said, as Em crawled to the other side of the couch. "What's up?"

"Is Kenny around?"

"He's in the shower," Max replied, leaning back against the cushions. "I guess you all had a late night?"

"We did," Jimmy confirmed, still grimacing from his talking to from Jill. "Go easy on him."

"Oh, he's paying for it now."

Jimmy sighed. "Have him call me at the station when he's down okay? How are you feeling? And Lindsay?"

"Good, both of us. She's getting bigger every day."

"Hurry back. Bye Max," he said, as she watched Kenny come back down.

"Bye," she said, hanging up and turning back to her husband. "Call Jimmy."

"I'll get on that," he said, scooping Lindsay up in his arms, and joining Max on the couch. "What's going on with you, Honey?"

Max shot Nate a look, before turning back to him. "Ah, I think it might have to wait."

"Nate," Kenny said. "Want to do me a favor?"

"Okay."

Kenny grinned despite his pounding head. "Could you run upstairs and get Lindsays bear? And make sure Samantha is out of bed?"

Max shook her head as Nate bounded toward the stairs. "I wish I had that much energy. What bear?"

Kenny shrugged. "Sorry about last night . . . What is it?"

Max swallowed, as she told him about her conversation with Dr. Bradshaw.

**66666666666666666**

"Shit," Pete said under his breath. "This changes things. A lot. The one day I got on patrol alone. Shit."

Reaching for his radio, he called back to the station quickly. Walking around the body quickly, he tried to control his raging stomach. How many people have to die, he wondered, how many? And where do we go from here?

"Maybe we were wrong the whole time," he spoke aloud, just to hear the sound of his own voice back on the grove access road. Hearing the silence echo around him. "Hurry up, Guys."

"He didn't hurt you?" Kenny asked. "Honey? He didn't do anything?"

Max shrugged. "He tried to sound menacing, but it really didn't come across that way."

"He threatened you and the kids. I don't take that lightly, and neither should you."

"I don't," she retorted. "He wanted you to back off from the investigation by threatening me. He won't do anything Kenny because it'll just make his kid look more guilty. You know that as well as I do."

"You really want to take that chance?"

"Well what do you want me to do? Go into hiding? Lock the kids in their rooms?"

"You think that this is funny? After everything we've been through you should take this seriously."

"That isn't fair. The whole world isn't going to come crashing down over one assholes comments."

"Max, there is a good chance that it's his son doing this. And from what you just said, and from what he said to Jill, it sounds like he might be involved as well. I don't want you anywhere near him."

She sat back, "Do you really think that I'm so incompetent that I can't take care of myself?"

"Of course I don't."

"Then stop acting like you do! I'm not some fragile piece of glass that's going to shatter," she trailed off. "I thought you knew me better then that."

"It's different now!"

"Why? Because we have kids, or what happened to Josh? Maybe because I'm handicapped at the moment? What? Will you stop treating me like I'm broken, Kenny? I'm still me, and I'm sick of you treating me like I'm some pathetic, sniveling victim all of the time!"

"Sorry for caring about what happens to you!"

"It's more then that, and you know it! You've been after me to quit my job since before Lindsay was born," she retorted. "When we first got together you told me what you wanted in a wife, and well I'm not it. I've never been the sweet, wholesome, homemaker you wanted me to be. Is this what this is all about? You finally have a chance to have that?"

"Don't be stupid, Max."

"So now I'm stupid and incompetent? What do you want from me?"

"Sometimes I wonder," he spat back. "Maybe we were a mistake in the first place."

"Yeah maybe we were."

"I'll get that," Kenny said, grabbing the ringing phone. "Hello? Hi Jimmy. Yeah, I'm coming. Bye."

Max turned away, and tried to control her pounding heart. What happened to us, she wondered, everyday it's something else. What the hell happened?

"I gotta go," he said, breaking into her thoughts. "I'll see you tonight."

"Fine. Bye."

**66666666666666666**

"It's Jordan Bradshaw," Jimmy said. "Stabbed to death apparently, but that'll be Carter's call."

Kenny nodded, trying to put his fight with Max in the back of his mind. "What do you bet the same knife was used to kill him and the girls?"

"I'd say it was likely," Jimmy agreed. "Although he wasn't skinned."

"You think his cult friends found out he was the one that led us to this spot, and this was his pay back?," Kenny asked,. "They take their secrecy seriously, and that cave . . . well it's pretty damning evidence to them."

"Whoever them is," Jimmy replied, looking around the crime scene. "Poor kid probably didn't know what he was in for when he signed up with them. Not that he deserves any sympathy, but these cults have a way of brainwashing people."

Kenny nodded. "What about Vessella? He did used to be a cult leader, and he might have some insight."

"Or he might have killed him," Jimmy added. "I want to talk to his friends too."

"You might want to try his father," Kenny added, as he filled in what Max had told him earlier, minus their scuffle afterward. "What do you think?"

"The guy is a piece of work," Jimmy trailed off. "It sounds like she gave him a piece of her mind too."

"She's nuts. The guy threatens her and the kids, and she just goes at it with him? In her condition? I don't get her sometimes," Kenny replied distantly. "She couldn't leave well enough alone."

Jimmy paused, looking Kenny over carefully. "Max is pretty smart, and I'm actually surprised she didn't slug the guy."

Kenny just shook his head, and changed the subject. "Did anyone go talk to the guy yet?"

"Don't worry about it," Jimmy said quickly, not liking his demeanor. "We're done here, let's head back to the station."

**66666666666666666**

Max leaned back against the seat of her jeep, after dropping all of the kids off and sighed. We can't keep fighting like this, she thought, all we're doing is pushing each other away. We just had a baby for gods sake, as she looked over at a happy Lindsay in her car seat.

"Shit," she said, as she jumped at the knock on her window. "Hi, Jill."

"You looked like you were sleeping," Jill said in way of greeting. "Although someone is awake in the back seat. Hi, Cutie."

Max couldn't help but smile as she followed Jill's gaze. "She's been remarkably well behaved today. What's up?"

"I hear that she's loud. Where are you heading? You want to go and get a cup of coffee or something?"

"Are you okay?"

Jill shook her head. "Not exactly. Meet you around the corner?"

"Sure. Five minutes?"

**66666666666666666**

"I demand action!" Jackson Bradshaw crowed in Jimmy's office, "You said that my son was a killer, and now look what happened!"

"We're doing everything that we can," Jimmy said quietly. "We'll catch the person who did this."

"Just like you caught the person who killed those little girls? Why don't you try going after criminals Sheriff? It might make all of the difference in solving crimes!"

Jimmy bit his tongue. "Why don't you have a seat Dr. Bradshaw? I've been meaning to have a word with you anyway."

"Is it about your wife? Or your crippled deputy?"

"What you did to Jill is reprehensible," Jimmy said lowly. "And we're taking you to court for it. You can't threaten my wife or my deputy to deter out investigation."

"It didn't seem to make much of a difference in your investigation, and I use that term loosely. You owe me now. You people got my son killed! All because you're too incompetent to find the real criminals."

"You can get out of my office," Jimmy said flatly, opening the door. "I'm sorry for your loss, we'll be in touch."


	7. Trying

-1"She's beautiful," Jill commented looking at Lindsay. "Look at all of that hair."

Max smiled despite everything. "She is. What's going on with you?"

"I could ask you the same question. Are we both that transparent?"

"Sometimes," Max agreed. "Um, I heard what happened at the hospital and all. I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault. We're taking him to court over it, although with his son being investigated . . . it's going to be complicated. I don't know what to do with myself, and my patients haven't been coming into my office as much now. I don't know what's happening."

"They'll be back. Once they figure out what an ass this Bradshaw is," Max countered.

"Have you met him? I know you've been in and out of the hospital a lot lately."

"Unfortunately," Max sighed, as she filled Jill in on her confrontation. "What do you think?"

"You handled yourself pretty well. Did you tell anyone else?"

"Kenny knows," Max trailed off, thinking of their fight this morning.

"He didn't take it too well?"

"We're fighting all of the time. Over everything. I don't know what's happening with us, and it scares me. This morning . . . he said that maybe we were a mistake, and I agreed with him."

Jill fell silent at that, as looked at Max in astonishment. "Did you mean it? Every time I see you two, you both have seemed so happy. Even through the rocky times you've been solid. What has changed?"

"What hasn't changed would be a better question. We've had our battles since we first met, but this is different. I wish we could go back to the way we were."

"You can't go back, only forward," Jill cautioned. "I know there has been a lot going on lately, and having a new baby can be tough. Especially after taking in your sisters kids, and dealing with what happened to her, your family."

"And Josh," Max finished softly, thinking of their dead son. "You can say it. It still hurts, and I'll always miss him. It's better though."

Jill nodded slowly, "Do you two talk about him?"

"Not a lot," Max trailed off, "After I went to Boston, everything changed so fast . . . we haven't."

"Maybe you should," Jill offered, "And take some time just for the two of you. Relax, go on a date, and forget all of the bad stuff for one night."

"We do need to talk," Max agreed, "Without arguing with each other. I miss him Jill, and I hate this wall we put up between us."

"Then tell him. Sometimes it's that simple."

"I don't know is he'll listen. We weren't a mistake. I know that, and he does too."

"So do I."

**777777777777777777777777**

"Jordan Bradshaw died of multiple stab wounds," Carter declared, waltzing into Jimmy's office. "At least that's what my preliminary analysis is. Serrated edges like the knife used on the girls. He got to keep his skin though."

"That was generous," Kenny replied, trying to focus on the case instead of the feeling that his marriage was crumbling. "This narrows the list of suspects down."

"We're going to start looking more at his friends. The ones that like to bully and harass the younger girls," Jimmy interjected. "I want to know everything about the knife wounds as soon as you do Carter."

"I'm on it," Carter replied, heading back toward the morgue. "I'll get back to you in a few days."

"Close the door," Jimmy told him on his way out before turning back to Kenny. "Sit."

"What's going on?" he asked, trying not to squirm under Jimmy's gaze.

"You tell me. Everything okay?"

"Of course it is."

Jimmy paused and knew better. "How is everything at home? Is your niece holding up okay because I'm sure she heard the rumors about Jordan before his death. It was all Zach could talk about the other day."

"She's doing okay, or at least she says she is. I believe her though," Kenny trailed off.

"Good. Lindsay is getting older too? What two and half months now? I know that Max is scheduled for a physical after her maternity leave is up. I haven't seen her for a while, how is she holding up? Last time I talked to her she seemed kind of distracted, and all of this must be weighing on her somewhat."

"Jimmy, I really don't want to talk about this. Max and me are having some problems. Can we just leave it at that?"

"For now," Jimmy conceded, not liking the look in his eye, as he changed the subject. "I want Jake Forman and Philip Stock brought in. They were Jordan's best friends."

"I'm on it."

**777777777777777777777777**

"Hey Samantha, wait up," Zach called, running down the hall after her. "Hi! What's going on?"

She shrugged. "Not much. I'm just going to math, and wishing it was still the weekend."

"Did you have a good one?"

"I guess so. I hung around with my family and stuff. We had fun," she trailed off, thinking of her aunt and uncle's fight that they had walked in on. I don't care what Aunt Maxie said, she thought, it seemed really serious to me. I don't want to move again. Even though I hate this school right now, home is pretty good. "Zach? Do your parents fight?"

"Yeah. Sometimes."

"No, I mean really fight. My aunt and uncle looked like they were going to kill each other. I don't know what it was about, but they both seemed really mad. I think they made up, but they seemed kind of pissed off again this morning."

Zach shrugged. "Adults are weird. Do you know that my mom threw my birthday cake against the wall one time? Then she and my dad screamed at each other for a good hour in the kitchen? I think that they need to do that sometimes."

"Maybe," Samantha conceded. "I don't like it when they fight."

"Me neither," Zach agreed, shooting her a thoughtful look. "Do you want to come over sometime or something? We can hang out and stuff?"

"I'd like that," Samantha trailed off. "Um, I'd have to ask my aunt and uncle though. You know, with what happened last time I went off with a boy. An older boy."

"I've known them since I was a little kid. They'll be fine with it. I promise."

"Okay. Maybe sometime later this week? Or next weekend?"

"Cool. I've got to get to class. I'll see you later?"

"Bye Zach."

**777777777777777777777777**

"The team finished going through the computers," Skeeter announced. "And all four victims received emails and chatted with this Venom. Who was traced back to Jordan Bradshaw's computer. Not that it does much good now, with the kid being dead in all."

Jimmy nodded thoughtfully, "If he was part of this cult, and it looks like he was he didn't act alone. He was a 15-year-old kid, and was probably good at attracting pre-adolescent girls."

"His two cronies are in the interrogation room," Skeeter added. "And none too happy about it either. Their parents are on the way, and Wambaugh is talking to them now."

"Of course," Jimmy replied. "Let's get to this before he pulls one of his stunts."

"Who do you want first? Forman or Stock?"

"Let's start with Forman," Jimmy said rising to his feet and following Skeeter toward the other room, as Wambaugh came in. "I want them separated."

"This is unconstitutional," Wambaugh declared. "They're children Jimmy! Just children!"

"Children who may know something about four murders," Jimmy countered, "Possibly five with Jordan Bradshaw's death."

"Oh, so you just shift the blame for the murders. I see."

"Doug," Jimmy seethed. "Their friend was just killed. Let us leave it at that for now!"

"If you like. Should we go in?"

**777777777777777777777777**

My limp is getting better, Max mused, leaning against the counter in the kitchen as she listened to the noise in the other room. I'm starting to feel like I used to, although this upcoming physical is starting to scare me though. What if it isn't enough though?

"Aunt Maxie," Samantha called, skidding into the kitchen with a giggle. "You have to come see this! It's funny!"

Max smiled despite her dark thoughts. "I'm coming . . . Let me get the door first though."

"Okay," Samantha said still giggling, as she went back into the other room, "Nate! Em! Keep going! She's coming!"

She seems so much happier, Max thought, as she threw the door open. I'm glad about that, and she deserves to be. "Oh. What are you doing here?"

"Do you know that my son is dead? You people, all of you, killed him! Just you wait," Jackson Bradshaw growled. "Your little bitch of a niece is going to pay for putting my son is this position! All of you!"

"What?" Max asked numbly. "What? Your son? When?"

"Why should you care? You people caused this! You'll all pay for it!"

"I know what it's like to lose a child," Max began before he cut her off.

"You don't know what I'm going through! He shouldn't have died like this!"

"Aunt Maxie?" Samantha asked, walking back into the kitchen at the voices. "Are you okay?"

"Go upstairs. Take Nate and Em with you," Max said quickly, keeping her eyes on Dr. Bradshaw. "Now Samantha."

"You little bitch," he spat, shoving Max to the side and lunging at Samantha. "I'll kill you!"

Max winced as she crashed into the counter, and hit the tiled floor. Scrambling to her feet, she saw Bradshaw with his hands wrapped around Samantha's neck. Shit, she though, shit!

"Aunt Maxie! Help," she heard Samantha gasp, as she was pushed against the refrigerator. "Please! Help me!"

Ignoring the pain running through her side and head, she grabbed the glass bowl from the counter. Raising it above her head quickly, she smashed it on top of his head .

"Aunt Maxie?" Samantha whimpered, watching the six-foot five man fall to the floor with a thud.

"It's okay," Max replied softly, pulling Samantha into her arms and smoothing back her hair. "It's okay. Are you hurt?"

She shook her head. "No . . . Yes. My neck . . . he tried to choke me."

Max pulled back slightly, to examine the red marks on Samantha's neck. Sick bastard, she thought, I see where your son gets it from. "Let's get some ice on that."

"Is he dead?"

"No," Max promised, watching his chest rise and fall, as she put the ice pack on Samantha's neck.

"What happened?" Nate asked, rounding the corner and seeing the collapsed man in the kitchen. "We heard a crash."

"Go upstairs," Max demanded. "Take Em, and stay there."

Nate nodded at the tone of her voice and took off, as Samantha said. "What happens now?"

"Go in the other room," Max replied, reaching for the phone. "Keep that on your neck."

"What are you going to do?"

Max bit her lip. "I'm calling the police. He needs to go to the hospital. I hit him pretty hard. And we need to file a report about what happened."

Samantha merely nodded at the official sound in her voice.

**777777777777777777777777**

"They're certainly adamant in their views," Kenny commented, following Jimmy out of the interrogation room. "And awfully convenient that they were each others alibi."

"They didn't seem that torn up over their friends death either," Jimmy added. "Or surprised by it."

"His Dad didn't take it too well."

Jimmy shook his head. "Of course he didn't. Losing a child . . ."

"I know," Kenny finished, as Jimmy trailed off. "It sucks."

"I didn't mean to bring it up," Jimmy added, knowing that after seven months it still hurt.

"I know. Sometimes it seemed like so long ago, and other days . . . I can still picture that night," Kenny said distantly. "No one should have to go through that. Not even a jerk like Bradshaw."

Jimmy sensed his deputy's melancholy mood and treaded carefully. "No they shouldn't. I wish we could have brought him home. For both you and Max."

"You did everything that you could," Kenny insisted, as he wondered how different things might be if Josh had lived. "And now we've got to do that for the Bradshaws, Meades, Roberts, and the rest."

"Hey," Pete called, rushing around the corner. "I've been looking for the both of you. You won't believe the call I just took."

**777777777777777777777777**

"You can't keep me locked up here," Bradshaw sneered, eyeing the radiator Max had cuffed him to. "Someone will find me here."

"That's the plan. The police are on their way," she countered, fighting to keep her voice even, as she placed the ice pack on his head. "So are the paramedics."

"No one will believe you. Do you know who I am?"

"Someone who likes to attack children?"

"Bitch," he hissed, as she backed away slowly. "You don't know what you're in for."

"That's what you keep telling me," Max retorted, as she walked back to Samantha in the other room. "How are you doing?"

Samantha shook her head, as Max sat down next to her. "It hurts. Why do people keep trying to hurt me?"

"No one is going to hurt you," Max promised, wrapping her arms around the girl and ignoring her own pain. "I won't let them."

"You hit him. For me?"

"Yeah," she replied. I would have shot him if I had a gun, she thought. Oh Caroline, I want to keep them safe for you, but it isn't working. I'm so sorry. "He's awake, but he's not going anywhere."

"Is that the police?" Samantha asked, as the sirens blared around them. "Are they coming to take him away? Do I have to go too?"

"You're not going anywhere."

"I'm scared."

"Max," she heard, as she pulled Samantha against her side as the girl began to cry. "Max? Are you here?"

"In the living room," she called back hoarsely, as she smoothed Samantha's hair back soothingly. "Its okay sweetie."

"Max," Kenny said, pausing as he looked at them, and he wasn't sure what her reaction would be to him after their fight this morning. "What happened?"

Max looked up at him, as Samantha buried her head deeper. "Um. Nothing good."

"Did he do this to you?" he asked, walking briskly over to her and examining the bruise on her cheek. "Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine, I promise," she insisted quietly, trying not to flinch when he touched her bruises, and gestured toward Samantha. Kenny just looked at her for a moment, and wanted to hold her close. "Don't worry about me."

"Samantha," he said carefully. "Hey. Don't cry. You're going to be fine."

"Why do these bad things keep happening?," she whimpered. "I want my Mom."

Kenny cautiously joined them on the couch, and met Max's eyes before replying. "I know you do. We wish that she was here too."

"Kenny," Jimmy called reluctantly, after observing the threesome on the couch, "I don't want to interrupt, but we need to ask Max some questions. And Samantha."

"You up for that?" he asked Max softly, hating the bruises he could see. "You're kind of . . ."

"Banged up," she finished, as she glanced down at a trembling Samantha. "Could you?"

Kenny nodded, wanting to hug her but he didn't dare after that morning. "Yeah. Go. He's gone now. Someone hit him pretty well, but he'll live. Have a hell of a headache in the morning."

"You can't hold me here," Jackson insisted, "My son just died and that crazy bitch hit me with a bowl."

**777777777777777777777777**

"You assaulted a 12-year-old girl and tried to choke her to death," Jimmy said calmly, "And shoved a woman, who just had a stroke, and gave her several contusions. You're staying put."

"This is all a conspiracy! It will never stick."

"Keep telling yourself that."

**777777777777777777777777**

"She's finally asleep," Max said, a few hours later. "So is Nate. It's hard to explain to a seven-year-old why there is a bloody . . . At least Em and Lindsay are too young to remember it."

"You okay?"

"Yeah," she replied distantly. "Sore, but it'll heal. I've had worse."

"You really clobbered him. A concussion and 10 stitches in his head," Kenny offered. "He deserved it. Those marks on her neck . . . She's a kid."

"So were the four girls that died. And Jordan. There are a lot of sick people in the world," Max replied softly, as they eyed each other warily. "I wish I killed the bastard."

"I know you do," he replied, sinking down onto their bed. "It's been one hell of a day."

"I know," she agreed. "A lot happened. With everything. What's going on with us?"

Kenny shook his head, as she joined him on the bed. "I don't know. I was terrified today though when I heard that you called, and Bradshaw was here. If he had hurt you or one of the kids . . . I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you today."

Knowing he wasn't just referring to Bradshaw. "We said a lot today. The person who said words couldn't hurt was an idiot."

Kenny cautiously brought his had to her cheek again, and traced her jawbone. "Do you know how important you are to me? How much you mean to me? I don't know what I would do without you in my life, Max."

She nodded, as they began to scratch the surface of their issues. "It's not just about the two of us now. We've got four kids to take of. Samantha, earlier today, asked me if we were going to get a divorce. Has it gotten that bad between us? I can't keep fighting with you, Kenny. We make up, and then it just falls apart again."

"I don't ever want to lose you. Whatever is going on with us, we can fix it," he insisted, taking her hand in his. "You were wrong this morning, or I was all those years ago. I thought all I wanted was a woman who, as you put it, was a sweet, wholesome, homemaker. I thought I did, but I was wrong. You'll never be that, no matter what you do. You . . . you challenge me, Max, make me think."

Max regarded him thoughtfully. "That's one of the nicest things you've ever said to me."

"I don't want some stepford wife," he insisted. "I want you, and all those things I said that night we got together . . . You're it. You look great, you're a fantastic mother, we have unbelievable sex, and you've held me when I cried."

"I can't believe you remember all of that," she said hoarsely.

"And you're more then that. If I had married someone like I had described to you, I'd be miserable. I don't want to make you into that. I want you home with the kids because you are a great Mom."

"Do you understand why I don't want to be a stay at home Mom? Our family means the world to me. Having kids is something I never thought I'd do, and I never knew how fiercely I'd love them," Max replied softly, as she studied him carefully. "Would you have expected me to quit my job if I had married someone else?"

"No," he trailed off, "I would have tried to talk you out of it. I know what it means to you."

"I know you want me to be safe," she replied. "And you always have my best interest at heart. I know how you feel, and watching that asshole try to strangle Samantha today made me want to hide her away from the world until it was safe to come outside again. We can't."

"And neither can I," he replied. "You really want to do this?"

"I do," she said softly. "I don't know how soon. This physical coming up worries me. Yeah, I can walk . . . but the other stuff. But maybe part-time? I have part-time after my maternity leave is up, and then…we'll see."

"You can do anything you set your mind to," he insisted. "I know that better then anyone. I can't believe that you knocked him out with a fruit bowl. Wasn't that a wedding present?"

"Hmm . . . I think it was from my parents," Max trailed off. "No great loss there."

"Yeah," Kenny agreed, running his fingers through her hair. "Do you think about them a lot? You haven't talked about them in awhile. Or the letter?"

"I don't know what to do about that," she sighed. "I want to ignore it, pretend it doesn't exist. Kenny? Do you ever think about Josh?"

"What? Of course I do. Every day. Why?"

"We don't ever talk about him. Not since before Lindsay was born. Why?"

"There has been a lot going on," he replied lamely. "I miss him, Honey. I always will. It doesn't feel like someone ripped my heart out anymore, but it'll always hurt."

"I know," she agreed. "Do you ever wonder what our life would have been like if he was still here? Do you think that we would be fighting like this?"

"I had that same thought earlier today," he replied, his fingers still tangled in her hair. "I guess we know each other pretty well? I think we'll always have something to fight over, but not like this. He was a great kid Max, and I couldn't believe it when you had him. He was so quiet compared to Emily. And especially Lindsay."

" I love you. Are we going to be okay?"

Max bit her lip, as she looked up at him. "I want to be, but we've been doing this fight, make up, fight thing for a while."

He hugged her close to him. "I know. We can try though. Right?"

"Right."


	8. Wallop

-1"Whoa," Skeeter said, as he flipped on the light to the basement. "Jimmy? Pete? You've gotta take a look at this. Apparently Jordan was quite the photographer, or his Dad was. A peeping Tom if you will."

"Jesus Christ," Jimmy said under his breath, as he flipped through the photographs. "It's all four of our victims. Shit, this is Hayley Hobbs, the girl who hung herself last year."

"And this is Samantha Richardson," Pete added, picking up another pile. "I don't know why I'm surprised given what we know so far. They were watching her."

"Who took them?" Skeeter asked. "Jordan? His Dad seems to be pretty screwed up as well. Look what he did yesterday."

"He's paying for it now," Jimmy said with a shake of his head. "She walloped him pretty well."

"Not bad for someone who had a stroke a few months ago," Skeeter agreed, as he turned back to the photographs. "There have to be some prints on these, and they're a link between the killer and the victims."

"We have the Bradshaw's prints on file," Jimmy confirmed. "So we'll know soon enough which one it was."

"That's good and all," Pete agreed. "But it's likely they aren't the only ones. If this is part of a cult, there are more people involved. The Bradshaws might just be the scapegoats for now until this all quiets down."

"I say we go and talk to Vessella again," Skeeter added. "See what his insights are. I bet he's still involved. Him being here can't just be a coincidence."

"I agree," Jimmy said, as they collected the evidence around them. "We'll go see him today."

**88888888888888888888**

"Shouldn't you be at work?" Max asked, rolling over one her side and trying not wince, "It's after eight."

"I took the day off," Kenny countered catching her pained expression. "With what happened yesterday . . . I thought I'd stick around home today. We've got some stuff to deal with."

"To put it mildly," she agreed, feeling a little shy with all that they said yesterday.

"She, Samantha, is a lot like you," Kenny said carefully. "Too stubborn to admit when she's scared. She didn't even cry when she gave her statement yesterday. That's one brave kid."

"She takes after her mother," Max agreed, thinking of Caro. "God, I miss her."

"I know you do."

He smoothed back her hair, as she replied. "I'm so tired Kenny. Everything has been such a struggle with us. Almost from day one."

"We've had our problems," he agreed, seeing her look away. "But we've had our good times too. I love you, Honey. Whatever is wrong between us, we can fix it. When everything calms down, lets go away for the weekend. Just the two of us."

"I'd like that," Max trailed off. "When will it calm down? With all that's going on, I'm a little sketchy about leaving the kids."

He smiled at her. "They're lucky to have you. So am I. I'd rather struggle with you, then settle with someone else."

"You're sweet," she sighed, as he kissed her softly. "I'm glad that you're home today. Can we just not fight? Just enjoy our time together?"

"Nothing would make me happier," he agreed, as a soft knock sounded at their door. "It'll make for a good Saturday. Come in."

"Hi," Samantha said softly, looking down at the floor. "I, um, I wasn't sure if anyone was awake. Sorry, I didn't want to bother you."

"You're not," Max countered, sitting up slightly. "We were getting up anyway. How are you this morning?"

"Fine. It hurts a little, but it'll go away."

"You sound like your Aunt," Kenny offered, throwing the covers off and shooting Max a look. "She never admits when she's hurt either. I think she would rather walk on a broken leg then admit she needs help. It must run in the family."

"Hey," Max said, trying to suppress her smile. "I've needed plenty of help lately."

Samantha smiled slightly. "Yeah. Dr. Bradshaw is in jail? He won't get out will he?"

"No," Kenny promised, crossing the room to her as Max rose to her feet. "He got some stitches last night, but he's locked up now. With a nasty headache."

"That looked like it hurt," Samantha practically whispered. "Was he going to kill me? Did he kill all those other people?"

Kenny exchanged a look with his wife before replying. "We don't know yet. There was no way that Max would have let him kill you though. She's stubborn about things like that."

"Aunt Maxie? What would have happened if you killed him? Would you be in jail right now? Would that have been my fault?"

"None of this is your fault," Max insisted. "It's not. These people have some twisted views on . . . a lot of things. And they happened to take it out on you. You did nothing wrong sweetheart. Believe that."

She nodded. "He hurt you too. I'm scared."

"He'll never get near you again," Kenny promised, as he and Max exchanged a look. "None of you."

**88888888888888888888**

"I already told your deputies everything I know," Garret Vessella insisted. "I haven't had anything to do with Moneviles in years. I can't help you Sheriff."

"I don't believe you," Jimmy countered. "So why don't you just tell us what they're planning. All these sacrifices and murders, and all for some stupid snake? What the hell is going on. Just spit it out!"

"I don't know what else to tell you," Garret insisted. "I would never kill anyone, especially a child!"

"It's kind of ironic that you show up in town, then these murders linked to your former cult start? ," Skeeter commented dryly. "I don't think so."

"Please. I don't want anyone to get hurt!"

"So tell us what you know," Jimmy replied. "We can do it here, or down at the station. You can choose."

Garret sighed, as he sunk down on her couch cushions. "I'll tell you what I know. It isn't much, but maybe it will help. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. A few months ago some boys, including the one that was killed the other day, came to see me. I didn't want any trouble. I just wanted to start over. They knew who I was, and they said that they would spread the word that I was a crazed killer if I didn't help them. They wanted to know about the Moneviles, and what the objectives of the cult were. So I told them . . . It didn't seem like a big deal at the time. They were children. I didn't think that it would come to this. I didn't want to believe it could happen again. Children, just children."

"And you're just telling us this now?" Jimmy snapped. "Who are they? Could you pick the rest out of a line up?"

Garret nodded, "Yes. I'll never forget their faces. I'm sorry."

"You should be," Skeeter said under his breath. "They were all children? No one else?"

"I'm sure," Garret insisted. "Why?"

"No reason," Jimmy interjected knowing that they were both was thinking of Jackson Bradshaw. "We'll bring them in this afternoon. Come by the station around three, and we'll see what happens."

"I'll be there."

**88888888888888888888**

"You're a million miles away," Kenny commented, watching Max as she fed Lindsay. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Max trailed off, looking up at him. "Actually everything."

"She's gonna be okay," Kenny insisted. "You certainly made sure of that. I'm surprised that you didn't crack Bradshaw's skull."

"Me too."

"She looks like she's done," Kenny replied, nodding toward Lindsay. "You want me to take her?"

"Now that she's quiet?"

"What's going on with you? I thought you didn't want to fight."

"I don't."

"Then what is it?"

She shook her head, as she watched him place Lindsay in the playpen. "Where is everybody? It's so quiet that it's almost eerie."

"Em is napping, Nate is building something, and Samantha is on the computer. Don't change the subject."

"I'm not," Max insisted, still feeling a bit stung from their earlier arguments. "I . . . I guess I'm kind of nervous. Every time we talk about anything lately it ends badly."

"So lets not talk," he countered, kissing her cheek and letting his lips trail down her jaw line. "I'd be happy just to touch you for awhile."

"Hmm, not fair," she argued weakly, as he kissed her collar bone. "I can't think when you do that."

"Good."

**88888888888888888888**

"Stabbed," Skeeter said aloud, looking into the car. "Through the heart. Dead."

"Shit," Jimmy said under his breath. "How the hell did this happen? This isn't just a coincidence."

Skeeter shook his head, "He was on his way here . . . Whoever did this, how did they know? It's only been a few hours."

"We're canvassing the area," Jimmy countered. "For anyone who saw anything. He was our link! Dammit!"

"We may have something over here," Pete called, kneeling on the grass. "A wallet. Well that is interesting."

"Whose is it?" Jimmy replied quickly, kneeling beside the other man. "Open it."

Pete nodded, as he flipped the folded leather open, "Oh. We might have another link now. Jake Foreman. This belongs to him, and what do you bet that his friend was with him when Vessella was stabbed?"

**88888888888888888888**

Max suppressed a giggle, as Kenny continued to kiss her. "This isn't fair."

"You taste good."

Max gave up on rational thought, as she kissed him back. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down closer to him. I just want everything to go away, she thought, just for a little while. I just want to forget it all. Oh god, I love it when he touches me. It's like I'm on fire.

"Max," he groaned, lowering his head to her neck and ignored the bruises he could see under her shirt. "I want you. Right now."

"You have me," she whispered in his ear, as she slid her hands up his shirt. She felt his fingers in the waistband of her pants, as she arched her neck back. "Hmm, take me."

Falling back against the couch cushions Max groaned again, as he lowered his head to her stomach and dragged his tongue up it. Stroking his face, she kissed him deeply. Pushing his shirt off, they both shivered at the familiarity of flesh meeting.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear, as he began kissing her chest.

"Hmm," Max moaned, as she slipped her fingers into his pants. "I could do this forever."

Kenny grinned at her, before returning his attention to touching and kissing her. "Me too."

Feeling him grow hard against her, Max moaned again.

"Oh my god! Get off of her! You're hurting her!," a voice screamed, as a lamp crashed onto the couch. "Stop it!"

"What the hell?" Max sputtered, looking around, as she sat up slightly.

"Stop it!"

"Kenny?" Max asked, feeling his weight collapse onto her, and she struggled to sit up herself. Oh god, blood, she thought. "Kenny? Shit. Are you all right?"

"Get off!"

"Samantha," Max began cautiously, not liking the wild look in her eyes, as she staunched the bleeding with Kenny's shirt. "Sweetie, it's okay. "

"He was hurting you," Samantha cried, wrapping her arms around her body. "I saw it!"

"He wasn't," Max insisted softly, as she straightened out her clothes. "He wouldn't ever hurt me. Kenny, can you hear me?"

"But . . . he was on top of you and stuff. You were making noises and stuff."

"Max," he mumbled, feeling her brush something out of his hair. "Ow."

"Ssh. Just lie still," she said softly, before turning back to a trembling Samantha. "What were you thinking?"

"I . . . I was trying to help you. Like you helped me."

Max groaned internally, as she pressed the shirt more firmly onto Kenny's wounds. "You just don't go around hitting people on the head. Forget about it for now. Go get me the first aid kit out of the kitchen."

"Max," Kenny groaned again, as she squirmed out from underneath him and pulled her shirt back on. "What the hell was that?"

"Are you okay?" she countered, as she studied the wound on his head. "I think you need stitches . . . Look at me."

"I don't need stitches."

"Stop arguing with me," she said softly but firmly. Shit there is a lot of blood. What the hell am I teaching these kids? Why were fooling around on this couch when any of the kids can walk in? God I'm a terrible parent, as she conceded. "Maybe not . . . It looks like a lot of little cuts."

"What happened? Was that Samantha?"

"Ssh. Yeah. She thought . . . She thought she was helping."

**88888888888888888888**

"So what? I lost that days ago," Jake said shrugging. "Anyone could have picked it up."

"Funny. I don't believe you," Jimmy countered. "Did you kill Garret Vessella?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Maybe because he was going to tell us all about how you and your friends killed all of the girls and Jordan."

"I didn't kill anyone," Jake sneered. "But I bet you would like to know who did."

"Who then?"

Jake smiled. "You'll never know. You'll never figure it out. You'll never believe it."

"It's in your best interest to tell me, and maybe we can work out a deal," Jimmy countered. "Or you'll be booked on charges of killing Garret Vessella. Your choice."

"I'll never betray my brothers. Book me. We'll see how far you get this time."

**88888888888888888888**

"Helping?" Kenny asked, trying not to think of the monster headache he had now, as it dawned on him. "Like you did yesterday?"

Max nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"She thought I was hurting you?"

"She's been through a lot, and most of it hasn't been good," Max countered softly. "Seeing us . . . like that, after all of our fighting . . . and what Jordan tried to do, it had to effect her in some way."

Kenny let out a deep breath. "Shit. I guess the couch isn't the best place to do this anymore."

Max nodded slowly. "Yeah. I think I got all of the shards out, and the bleeding stopped. You might want to take a shower though."

Kenny smiled at her. "Are you going to kiss it and make it better?"

"Do you think that you're one of the kids?" Max trailed off, as Samantha came hesitantly back into the living room. "Hi."

"Hi," she said softly, taking a tentative step forward. "Um. I didn't mean to hurt anybody. I just thought . . ."

"I know," Max finished for her, as Samantha trailed off. "Are you okay?"

Samantha shook her head. "No. I'm so scared, of everything. I don't know what to do anymore."

"No one is going to hurt you," Kenny promised. "Ever again. I'll kill anyone who tries."

Max bit her tongue at his declaration, and studied her niece thoughtfully before adding, "Do you want to talk to someone about it? We talked about therapy before, and . . . It might help for you to vent some of those feelings."

Samantha nodded. "I'd like that. I'm so tired of being afraid."

**88888888888888888888**

"We're charging him for killing Vessella," Jimmy announced. "He's giving up nothing, but going to court might change that a bit."

"You're hoping he breaks," Skeeter verified. "And rolls over on the others involved."

"Exactly. Wambaugh is in with him now," Jimmy continued.

"And maybe he can get him to want to deal," Skeeter added. "What 15 year old wants to spend the rest of their life in jail? We need to know who is pulling the strings on this Jimmy. It wasn't Vessella, and I'm betting that Jordan was just a pawn. I'd go with Dr. Bradshaw, he seems like he is sick enough to do it. Given what happened with Samantha."

"We're going to focus on him too," Jimmy agreed. "After Jake tells us what he knows."

"He's not going to tell you anything," Wambaugh declared, joining them. "You've got nothing Jimmy, and you know it. This will be thrown out of court!"

"We can put him at the scene," Jimmy countered. "A scene very similar to the one we found Jordan in. I'd say it was the same knife too, and Carter is working to confirm that now. Convince him to deal Doug, or he'll end up spending the rest of his life in prison."

Wambaugh shook his head. "We'll see you at the arraignment Jimmy."

**88888888888888888888**

"Jake won't talk," a hushed voice said. "He knows what will happen if he does."

"He better not," another agreed. "This whole thing is falling apart. We need more blood to finish this."

"We can't get the girls online anymore. The cops are watching us, maybe we should just cool it for now."

"There isn't anytime! We have to finish!"

"It's too risky!"

"Let's bring in Jordan's girl. She'll do nicely. We need three more, but let's start with her. All of this trouble is because of her, so lets rid ourselves of the problem."

**88888888888888888888**

"I guess we're done fooling around on the couch for awhile," Kenny offered with a weak smile. "Is she upstairs?"

Max nodded slowly. "Yeah. I think she's kind of embarrassed . . . We should know better. Even though it felt really good. I'm really worried about her Kenny."

"We're going to get her help," he promised. "I know how you feel about therapy . . . but it'll help her honey. Nothing else bad is going to happen."

"I hope not," Max agreed. "How is your head?"

"It's been better," Kenny admitted. "We're both kind of mess now."

**88888888888888888888**

"It's the same knife," Carter verified the next morning. "It killed all of the girls, Jordan and now Vessella. I say that is enough to scare Jake into talking . . . He can be indicted on what? Seven murders now? Even if he is a juvenile, he's going to be spending the rest of his life in jail."

"I'd say," Skeeter agreed. "Pete's bringing him into interrogation now, and Wambaugh is coming back in. We're going to break him Carter, and end this."

"Let's go," Jimmy said, rounding the corner. "They're in the room, and the boy actually looks scared."

"He'll fold," Skeeter predicted, as they joined the others in the room.

"I hope so," Jimmy agreed. "Good morning Jake. Did you have a good nights sleep?"

"It fine," Jake replied dully. "Can I go home now?"

"I'm afraid not. The knife that killed Vessella matches the one that killed Jordan and all of those girls. And we can put you at that scene," Jimmy began, as Jake slumped back into his chair. "And link you to the other six. You're going to prison for a long time young man."

"I can't!"

"You don't have a choice at this point," Jimmy continued. "You claim that you don't know who killed all of these people and you were obviously there, so what should we think?"

"I can't tell you! They'll kill me too?"

"Who?"

Jake bit his lip and glanced over at Wambaugh doubtfully. "I can't tell you."

"We can keep you safe," Jimmy promised. "If you help us."

Jake shook his head. "I'd rather go to jail then have them come after me."

"Who are they?" Jimmy demanded. "Do you really think that they won't hurt after knowing that we questioned you?"

"I haven't told you anything! They'll believe that!"

"Will they? I'm sure they're worried about saving their own hides as well. We're the only option you have left! Who killed all of these people? Was it you?"

"I . . . Will I go to jail if I tell you? I can't go to jail."

"We can make a deal," Jimmy said through clenched teeth. "In exchange for your testimony, I'll make sure that the D.A. grants you immunity."

Jake nodded slowly. "Okay, I'll tell you."


	9. Capture

"Jordan," Jake started. "He did work for Garrett Vessella, just yard work and stuff. He found the books, and thought it was cool.. It was, you know snakes, blood, fire…we used to get drunk and fool around with it."

Jimmy and Skeeter exchanged a look. "What next?"

"Dr. Bradshaw was really strict…Jordan got really into the drugs and…he found the real group. I went once, and was kind of freaked out, but he was my best friend. I couldn't go back…they killed people, they wanted all of us to kill people. Jordan was supposed to find girls, he was popular, girls liked him. And…I'm sorry, so sorry."

"Where?" Jimmy asked. "What are their names?"

**9999999999999**

"What?" Max asked, as Kenny wound his arms around her waist and pulled her in close. "Kenny?"

"The kids are asleep."

She smiled at that. "How's your head?"

"Full of thoughts of a naked you."

"You're so corny," she groaned, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Upstairs, in a locked room?"

God, she's gorgeous, he thought. I think she looks better now then she did 12 years ago, has it really been 12 years since we met? I should of dropped down on one knee then. I love her hair, it's so long, I've never seen her grow it this long. Even in her oldest jeans and black sweater. How did I ever get her to be mine? She's always been too good for me. "Anyway you like it, Honey."

"Really?" Max asked, wrapping her arms around him. "That has possibilities, Lacos."

Way too good for me, he thought, she's changed…this warmer, more nurturing side of her, my Max. My wife, mother of my children, she is everything I have ever wanted. "Yeah? Come here, Honey."

**9999999999999**

"A farm," Jake stated. "On Miller Road. It…the barn, and…there are bones and blood. I can't go back there. I'd rather be in jail."

Jimmy nodded. "A name."

Jake shook his head. "I can't…He'll kill me."

"He won't kill you here. Tell us."

**9999999999999**

"That what was great," Max sighed, snuggling in close. "I've missed you. Us."

He squeezed her to him. "Want to runaway to a tropical island? Raise the kids in the jungle? Live off the land?"

"Hm, don't tempt me."

"You in a little bikini everyday?"

Max groaned. "I'm getting to old for that."

"You're hot."

"I have stretch marks."

"You're prettier then you were when you were 22. I can't get over your hair, I love it like this."

Max smiled at him through it. Soft and pretty…a stay at home mom…it's what he wants for me. From me. "I know you love my hair."

"I love you."

Max kissed him again. "You want to go again?"

"Frisky."

**9999999999999**

"Unbelievible," Jimmy said under his breath, as Jake was taken back to his cell.

"You believe him?" Skeeter asked.

"We'll get the warrants and find out. He words with children," Jimmy stressed. "Our children."

**9999999999999**

"How are you?" Max asked, as she sat down with Jill for coffee after dropping the kids off at school. "I hear you got your job back."

"With everything that happened wit the Bradshaws, the hospital vetoed his decision," Jill smiled. "And how about you?"

Max shrugged. "I'm good. Really, I started running a few days a week, it feels good."

Jill looked down at the three month old in the seat on the floor. "And how is she? She's getting big."

Max rocked the seat gently with her foot. "Sleeping through the night. She can wake the dead when she cries. Kenny is great about getting up with her."

Jill smiled at that. Kenny would do anything for her, I wonder if Max really knows that? "Does he still want you to be a stay at home Mom?"

Max nodded. "I know he does. We've gone back and forth over it, and I get what he's saying. And I love being with the kids, I really do."

"But?"

But what, Max thought, really? Beside me wanting to work? We took in Caro's kids to give them a home, Lindsay and Emily are so young, and…Oh, god, am I seriously considering this? What is happening to me? I'm not this person. Am I? "I can't spend the next 18 years going to playgroups, baking cookies, driving carpool…and that may make me horribly selfish…does it? I haven't worked in a year, and I miss it. I don't want my kids and niece and nephew raised by a nanny…Oh, I hate him for putting this in my head."

Jill smiled at that, as she regarded her young friend for a long moment. Softer, Jill thought, more relaxed and open. She looks radiant, despite everything. "You are considering it?"

"No, yes, I don't know. It would mean a lot to him…and it would be good for the kids. I'd even have another one, despite what happened last time. I never thought…what happened to me? I'm not this person."

And she loves Kenny, Jill thought, she would do this for him. I'm just surprised he asked her to. "You want to have another baby?"

Max glanced down at Lindsay again. "We can never replace Josh…I want to give Kenny another son. He is so great with Nate, and…you know?"

**99999999999999**

"What?" Kenny asked, bowled over by the news. "We're doing what? That's who…No way. He recruited all those kids…Wow."

"For years," Jimmy said. "He had all that contact and no one knew. Get your gear."

Kenny nodded, feeling his stomach clench up. Wrong, he thought, I've had drinks with the man. He was at our wedding.

**999999999999**

"What do you want?" Jill pressed. "Honestly? Forget about what Kenny wants."

Max bit her lip. "I want my life back. I want Kenny to realize that I'm still me, despite everything that has happened.. That I'm not broken or a victim."

"You're his wife, the mother of his children, of course he's treating you differently. I know losing Josh…And I'm so sorry for that, I know that changed a lot for the both of you."

Max tried to ignore the ache in her heart and gulped back her tears. My sweet boy, my first… "It did. He was so sweet and…it wasn't fair that he never…."

Jill passed her a napkin. "Max, it's okay."

She wiped away her tears. "Sorry. It hits me sometimes."

And I'm sure it hits Kenny too, Jill thought. Which is probably why he's pushing this on her. I don't think he can handle anything happening to her, while I think Max could pull it together if something happened to him. Not easily, but she has more grit and determination in her then most people. "Of course it does, it's barely been a year. Max, don't make any rash decisions. That's my best advice to you. "

**99999999999999999**

"Michael Oslo?" Jimmy said, as he opened his front door. "You're under arrest."

"Jimmy?" he asked, staring at the patrol cars lining his street. "What is this?"

"We found the farm, Michael," Jimmy stated, as he cuffed him. "What have you been up to for these last 20 years?"

**99999999999999999**

I'm going to lose my mind, Max thought, as she listened to the mindless chatter as she picked Emily up at pre-school. Are they talking about cake? Do they know what a fraud I am? That I couldn't bake a cake if someone paid me to? Buckling the girls into their car seats, she glanced at the clock. Thirty minutes to get Nate. Okay.

"She is beautiful."

"What?" Max asked, shaking her head and looking down at Lindsay. "Thanks."

"How old is she?"

"Almost four months. Which I can't believe."

"How did you lose your baby weight so fast?"

"I never gain that much," Max offered, not wanting to delve into her stroke. "She was early too. We have four at home, it keeps me busy."

She nodded. "We're having a fundraiser bake sale for the school."

"Jimmy! This is insane! I am not a cult leader," Oslo stated.

Jimmy regarded his old friend carefully, before laying the photos they had discovered in front of him. "It's your fingerprints all over the barn. And these."

Oslo paled as he stared at the images in front of him. "You don't understand."

"It's you. You recruited those kids through the school."

"I want a lawyer."

"You need one."

**999999999999999**

Samantha smiled, as Zach walked her toward his car. It's better then the bus, my aunt and uncle know him, I really like him. "Thanks. I don't know what I hate more, the bus or being picked up and dropped off."

Zach shrugged. "I know. Max and Kenny are cool, but they aren't my…you know, not parents, but…I mean I don't live with them."

"It's just different here. I've seen them make out more in the last nine months then I saw my parents in 14 years."

Zach laughed. "Really?"

"They're happier then my parents. Even when they fight. I want to be happy, but…I miss my Mom, my family…I don't know if this is ever going to be home."

"It isn't so bad here. You know, ignore those guys, they'll back off."

Samantha shuddered. "I don't care about them. I just want to go to school, graduate, and go where no one knows me."

I want to know you, Zach thought.

**999999999999999999999999**

"Oslo?" Kenny asked, shaking his head. "Recruited kids through the school?"

Skeeter nodded. "It's his farm, they've been digging up bodies all day."

Max talked to him alone, Kenny thought, about Samantha. He could of…she was pregnant, hurt, crippled, how could I let her do that? He could have…No. "Yeah."

"You okay?" Skeeter asked, glancing at his partner. "Hey, how's Max doing?"

Being the perfect stay at home mom, he thought, raising our kids…and all she wants to do is work. "She's good. Running again, she's got a clean bill of health from her doctors."

"When is she coming back?"

Never, Kenny thought, if I could convince her. Instead she's looking at nannies again…she's a natural with them, how can she not want this? It's not about what we want anymore. "She has to pass her physical, we need to find some childcare."

"You not happy about that?"

"What? I'm happy that she's making a full recovery…I told her I want her to be a stay at home mom."

Skeeter looked at him like he lost his mind. "You told Max that? Max? We're talking about the same person? You told her that? And she's still speaking to you?"

"Most of the time."

"A stay at home Mom? Max? I've seen her with the kids, she's great. I really think she would lose her mind. You know her, probably better then anyone."

"It's different now."

Skeeter regarded his friend for a long moment. "Are you okay?"

I can't watch her almost die again. Even her comment about having another baby, she almost bled to death, had a stroke. They held a gun to her head. And she dives head first into those situations. I can't do it again. "Yeah, I'm good."

Liar, Skeeter thought, something is going on here. Stay at home Mom? What is going on with him?

**99999999999999999999**

Can I do this, Max wondered, standing in the living room doorway for a long moment. Nate lecturing Emily on his cars, Lindsay bouncing in her chair, Samantha doing geometry at the table. And I have to make that insane cake. Stay home? How can…It isn't just about us anymore. Four kids. Would I be thinking about this if he didn't bring it up? I've been a cop for 12 years…Oh crap.

**999999999999999**

"Forty eight bodies," Jimmy confirmed. "He hired Wambaugh."

Kenny nodded, looking down at the photos. Sliced open, raped, he thought, feeling sick, all these years? How could we not know? "He recruited kids through school, and had them sacrifice all those girls? For years? What was his motive?"

Jimmy shook his head. "That's what we need to find out. Go home, get some rest. We'll regroup in the morning."

Kenny nodded again, looking at the clock. Three hours late, Max is going to be pissed. No, she won't be because she understands this job. She wants this job back…we'll both be working late, the kids will be with strangers, and what happens when she gets herself hurt or killed? I can't do this without her.

"Max has her physical this week?"

"What?" Kenny asked, tuning back in. "Yeah. Tomorrow."

"Good. I want to sit down with her at some point and talk about the three month part time schedule."

"She'd like that," Kenny deadpanned, his heart leaping into his throat. Max out on the street, with just Pete to have her back? He's a kid.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow."

**99999999999999999**

What did I do to myself, Max wondered, studying her reflection in the mirror after the kids went to bed. Fingering the hair that Kenny loved so much, she pushed the strands back and sighed. It's more then that though, she thought, more then the diaper bags, hair, making insane cakes, arts and crafts projects, I'm different. Jill said it, Kenny said it. Losing Josh, my family, Samantha and Nate…can I really give up such a big part of myself?


	10. Home

"I have 10 more minutes," Max said, as Kenny watched her run on the treadmill later that night. "What?"

Gym shorts and a sports bra, he thought, watching her run. "How many times have you done this today?"

She bounced along, glancing at the timer. "Twice. Do you know how good it is to run without worrying about falling over? I feel normal again."

"You're not overdoing it?"

"Kenny, I'm fine," she insisted. "Why so late tonight?"

Of course you're fine, he thought, you always are. Even when things are awful, you're fine. "Just work stuff. Don't worry about it."

She shot him a look, knowing he was trying to shield her. "Tell me."

"Max, I'm way too tired for this."

She stopped the treadmill, and wiped the sweat from her face. "Are you okay?"

"Max, I'm fine," he insisted, looking at her sweat drenched body and knotted back hair. Does she really know the effect she has on me? That look in her eye, she knows something is up. "It's been a long day, Honey. I just want to go to bed."

"Kenny?" she pressed, not liking the look in his eyes. "It's me. Talk to me."

My wife, he thought, fighting the urge to touch her. I can't think straight when she's half naked, sweaty, and looking at me like she knows exactly what I'm thinking. I can't do this without her, why can't she get that through her thick skull? "We arrested Oslo as the cult leader, and found 48 bodies on the farm her owns."

Max stared at him like he lost his mind. "Michael Oslo? The school principal?"

He nodded, thinking of the meetings she had alone with him about Samantha. He could of… "I shouldn't of sent you alone to talk to him."

She pushed him back and stared at him for a long moment. "Are we back to me being too incompetent to take care of myself? I can take care of myself, Kenny, and there was a time you used to know that. When you trusted me to have your back. I am not helpless, and I don't need you coddling and protecting me. Stop treating me like this. When did you stop trusting me?"

"Max, come on."

"No. When did I become your helpless little wife? After Josh died?"

Kenny recoiled at that. "Don't."

"Don't what?" Max pressed. "Kenny, what is going on with you?"

"I don't want to fight with you."

Max threw up her hands in frustration, doing her best to clamp down on her temper. "No, you tell me. You can't make me into someone I'm not. I can do this. I can be a mom, wife, cop, and even make that insane cake Emily's preschool gave me to do. Look at me, you know me better then anyone, Kenny, at least I thought you did. What changed?"

"What changed?" he repeated, staring at her. "Max, what the hell do you think changed?"

"Don't answer my question with another question!"

"You can't do it all!" he shouted at her. "But you think you can, right? Take on the world, run in headfirst and screw the consequences? What the hell is going to happen next time? Your Dad held a gun to your head! You want to have another baby? You almost bled to death on the table! Danny, Jen, all of it! I can't watch you almost die again…I can't do this without you!"

Max gulped back her tears and she didn't take her eyes off of her husband. "You can't do this to me. You can't lock me away from the world because you're afraid I'm going to get hurt or killed. You have to trust me because we don't have anything without that."

"It isn't about me not trusting you."

"I love you," she said quietly. "I've loved you since I was 22, and was too afraid to say it. But if this is what…I miss him too."

"What?"

Max bit her lip, thinking of their son. "Protecting me won't bring him back."

"What are you talking about?"

Max reached up to stroke his cheek and smiled sadly. "I'm going to bed. I have my physical tomorrow. Good night, Kenny."

**101010101010**

"Michael Oslo?" Jill repeated. "We've had him over for dinner."

Jimmy nodded, finishing his beer. "It wasn't what…We got him now. He isn't going anywhere. How was your day?"

"I had lunch with Max. She's doing good, Jimmy. Kenny wants her to be a stay at home mom."

"What? Max? She has her physical tomorrow. He actually told her that? Max? I told him today I wanted to talk to her about part time and he didn't…A stay at home Mom?"

Jill smiled. "She loves her kids, all four of them. She's different, Jimmy."

"She's a cop. I don't care if she pops out a new baby every year and adopts another six, it's who she is. Kenny told her this?"

**101010101010**

"Aunt Maxie?" Samantha said, as Max made her way upstairs.

Forcing herself to not think about her marital problems, she turned back to her niece. "I thought you were sleeping."

I heard you and Kenny fighting, she thought, "I couldn't sleep."

I don't think I'm ever going to sleep, Max thought, the one person…he let me mourn Josh, he held me every night while I cried, did he ever? I don't think it'll ever heal completely, but has he even healed at all? "Yeah? What's up?"

"I think I like a boy."

Max smiled despite herself. "A boy, huh? Do I need to run a background check on him?"

"No! I mean, he's older and…I don't know."

"How much older?" Max prodded, not liking the direction this was going.

"Sixteen…I think I like Zach."

"Zach Brock?" Max asked, not sure if she should laugh or cry. "He's a junior? Yeah, you really like him?"

"He's sweet."

Max smiled. "Well, what are you going to do about him?"

**10101010101010**

"No trial," Wambaugh said. "Twenty-five to life, with a possibility of parole, and you'll get your answers."

Jimmy held his gaze, as he glanced at Georgia. "Do it."

"Parole?" Georgia sighed. "He murdered over 50 people."

"He's going to jail, and he'll die there," Jimmy stated. "We'll get your client, Doug."

**101010101010**

"Umph," Max grunted, finishing the run and wiping the sweat away. Please, oh please, let this be okay. I can't handle failing now. Grabbing the gun from the table, she fired into the target five times. "Done."

He checked his watch and nodded. "Nice work."

Max smiled, as she caught her breath. "Am I done? Did I pass?"

He held out his hand. "Congratulations and welcome back, Deputy."

Max grinned, as he signed off on her paperwork. I'm okay, I did this…I'm healthy, whole, healed…damn it, Kenny. How can you do this to me? Just the way you looked at me when I left Emily and Lindsay with Sarah today, and she adores them. Our best baby-sitter, and you looked at me like I was abandoning our children. What is happening to us? To you? "Yeah? Wow…Thanks."

"Max?"

She turned around, elated and terrified all at once. "You have to do this too?"

Skeeter patted his belly. "Once a year. You done?"

"Done and cleared."

"Congrats," he said, extending his hand and watching her for a long moment. "When are you coming back? You are coming back?"

"What?" Max asked, not liking the pull in her gut. "What would give you that idea?"

"You want to get something to eat when I finish?"

Max glanced at her watch. "I have a sitter until two. Sure."

**101010101010**

"Why?" Oslo repeated, as he sat at the table with his hands cuffed. "I was raised in it, my father, grandfather, great grandfather, were all members. All those girls had to die so we could live. They were all whores. Oh, and the boys? Stupid, only thinking with their cocks. They would bring them to the caves and the farm, it was so easy."

"How many?" Jimmy asked, thinking of the bodies they found and the suicides.

Oslo shrugged. "Hundreds. The ones on the farm, the caves, I lost count. They meant nothing, we just needed their blood and flesh."

"You ate them?"

"Some…the special ones. You can stop me, but there will always be another me."

**101010101010**

"I couldn't let the woman who just had a baby and stroke show me up," Skeeter said before wincing as they sat down in the café. "Too soon?"

Max shook her head. "I feel pretty good these days."

"What's up with your hair?"

She shrugged, pushing back the long strands. "Kenny likes it."

"How is he? Really? He wants you to be a stay at home Mom?"

"That seems to be an ongoing discussion," Max trailed off. "I love being a mom, I really do I've thought about it, played it over hundreds of ways in my head, and….he's being such an ass about it. Last night…Ugh. You would of thought I was abandoning the kids when I went to do my physical this morning. I don't…He thinks he needs to protect me. It's so…I can't keep having the same fight. Is he okay at work?"

"He's quieter. He has been since…Is this okay to talk about?"

Max nodded. "Since Josh died? It's okay, really."

"I'm sorry we couldn't save him."

"You guys did everything you could. I know that," Max said quietly. "And I get the need to protect them, me, believe me, I get it. I don't…he let me mourn, and I don't know if he ever did."

Skeeter gulped, a bit taken back by his old friend's astute observations. "I'm worried about him."

Me too, Max thought, I want our life back. My husband, our new family, we were happy. I've loved him for so long. "I want to help him, and we've always…I don't know how to."

**101010101010**

"No one will let him out," Kenny stated, focusing on the case and not the feeling that Max was slipping away from him. She doesn't need me, I don't think she ever did. She can do it all, she said it. "It's done."

Jimmy watched his deputy for a long moment. "I suppose it is."

Until the next one, Kenny thought. Until my wife goes after him, and gets herself killed. If she's going to be my wife much longer…she doesn't need me.

"Kenny? Everything all right?"

"What? It's fine," he lied. Call her. Talk to her. She really doesn't want to talk to me. "I'm just going to finish up my paperwork."

**10101010101010**

"Oh, there is my baby," Max smiled hefting Lindsay into her arms, as the Emily ran to her and hugged her legs. "Did she get bigger while I was out? Hi, Sweetie."

"They were angels," Sarah smiled. "How did it go?"

"Angels? These two?" Max said, setting Lindsay back in her chair. "You're talking about my kids? It went good. I'm cleared to go back."

"Are you looking for a nanny?"

Max looked up. "Are you offering? It's only going to be part time, I don't know when yet. Em and Lindsay love you, Nate and Samantha are great, I would love it. I didn't think you were looking for anything regular after the Bennetts moved."

She smiled. "I was getting bored, and part time works. Call me when you get your schedule, we'll work it out."

Max nodded. "I will, I just need to talk to my boss first." And my husband.

**10101010101010**

"I thought she would call you," Skeeter shrugged. "Yeah, she passed and crushed my times. She looks like she's doing great."

"Max is always doing great," Kenny deadpanned.

"Listen, I get you guys have been through a lot these past few years. Give her some credit, she knows what she's doing."

**10101010101010**

"Hey," Max said quietly, looking up from the disaster that was her cake later that night. "You're home."

Kenny regarded his wife for a long moment, in her holey jeans, long sleeve purple shirt and her hair braided down her back. The kids are asleep, the house is spotless, she passed her physical, and she's making a cake? "Yeah. How was your physical?"

"I passed," she said quietly. I hate this, she thought, whatever this is with us. And I hate this cake. "Ran a five minute mile."

And you didn't tell me, he thought, I heard about it from Skeeter. "When are you going back to work?"

Max bit her lip, hating the flat tone in his voice and the accusing look in his eyes. Abandoning the cake, she crossed the kitchen to him. Standing in front of him. Honesty, we've always had that. "I don't think we finished that conversation."

"I'm not up for a fight."

"Neither am I. You want me to stay home, I want to work. Can we compromise? Kenny, you have to trust me to take care of myself again."

A gun to her head. Almost bleeding out on that table. I know her…impulsive, reckless, looks after she leaps. "You're the only one I trust with our kids."

Max felt some of the fight go out of her at that. "Kenny."

"I can't do it again, Max," he said, not quite looking at her. "Not with them or you."

"You knew who I was when we got married. You really think I'm going to get myself killed?"

"I know you run in to situations head first. And it's not because I think you're incompetent and can't take care of yourself. You want to save people, I get it, but I can't sit by your bed again and wait to see if you wake up."

You can't do this to me, I love you, I need you, Max thought, I can't keep fighting with him. He's still so hurt, I can give him this…it's important to him. Me, the kids, I can do this. Soccer mom. PTA. Bake sales. I can devote my life to the kids if it means that much to him. "You have to promise me that you'll be safe out there, and that if I become one of those moms who only talks about her kids, vacuums, bake sales, diapers, that you'll shake me out of it."

"Max?" he asked, staring at her for a long moment. "Max?"

She nodded, her heart aching in her chest. I can do this, I can do this. "Promise me?"

He nodded, not taking his eyes off of her. "Max, I…You're sure?"

No, she thought, I'm not. Compromise, I won't hold this against him. I love him, our family, we've changed. I can do this. She nodded, wrapping herself around him in a strong hug. Safe, I feel so safe and secure with him. Let him heal, the same way he let me. "I'm sure. I love you, Kenny, I love our family. I want our life back."

**10101010101010**

Jimmy frowned. "She said all of that?"

Skeeter nodded. "I don't think Kenny got over losing his son. She was a wreck, every time I saw her, she was barely holding it together, when she was. She was able to talk about it, him, and I believe her. I think Kenny is giving her a really hard time about going back to work, and that the idea of staying home with the kids appeals to her a little."

"Max is a cop."

"She also has a husband who she would do anything for, and four kids."

**10101010101010**

"You took the day off?" Max asked, as Kenny wrapped her arms around her waist in the kitchen the next morning. "I wish you told me before."

"Ugh, are you going to make out again?" Samantha groaned walking in, secretly glad they weren't fighting. "Children live here."

Kenny gave Max another squeeze. "What do you say, Honey? Want to give it a go?"

He loves me, she thought, covering his hand with hers. I know that. All he wants is for all of us to be safe and happy, I can do this for him. Smiling at him, she leaned back into him. "Later? Hey, go grab your brother, I'll give you a ride this morning."

"No bus?" Samantha said with a grin. "Awesome. Nate!"

"You going somewhere?" Kenny asked, kissing her neck. "You sure about that?"

"Hmm, Kenny," she sighed, enjoying his attention. "Yeah. I need to drop them off, Em has pre-school at 11, buy some food, I need to do something about my hair, I'm not chopping it all off, oh, and tell Jimmy I'm not coming back to work. I have a full morning…and if you're off today, I'm leaving Lindsay with you."

He stepped back, watching her for a long moment. "What?"

Max smiled at him. "I'm sure she would love to spend some time with her Daddy."

It'll be fine, Kenny thought, running his hand down her cheek. I won't let her out of my sight. I've pushed enough on Max already. "Hurry back."

**10101010101010**

Kenny sat, watching his sleeping daughter. Loud, he thought, how can she be four months old? How could so much of changed? Glancing at the clock, he tried to ignore the gnawing in his gut. Max, damn it, get home.

**10101010101010**

I can't, she thought, catching sight of her reflection. At least my hair isn't as out of control, she thought, smoothing it back. Kenny loves it like this, she thought, leaning back in the jeeps seat. Stay at home Mom, doing this everyday…Oh, God, what have I agreed to? No, I can…For the kids and Kenny. I can do this. He loves us so much, he's still hurting, I can give this to him. Pushing open the door, she wasn't really sure how she was supposed to tell Jimmy. He's the father I always wanted, he's done nothing but support me and Kenny for years…How do I do this?

"Max?"

She looked up, feeling like the worst person on the planet. "Hi."

Jimmy studied his deputy for the second time in less then 24 hours. Exhausted, he thought, guilt in her eyes. "Max, I'm not accepting your resignation. Get that out of your head right now."

Max gulped, as they slid into a booth. "I never thought I was that transparent.'

"How did Kenny talk you into this?"

She shook her head. "He didn't talk me into anything. We made the decision that is best for us right now."

"You expect me to believe that?"

No because I don't, Max thought. "A lot has changed. I want to be there for my kids, I don't want them raised by a nanny. I'm going to do this, Jimmy. I need to do this."

"You are a cop, down to your bones. You know it, I know it and Kenny knows it."

Lie, Max thought, lie, or he'll talk me out of it. "Not anymore."

"I think you're delusional," Jimmy stated. "I'm sorry we couldn't bring Josh home to you, but doing this? It isn't going to bring him back."

Max sat back, like he slapped her. "I know that. I'd give anything to have Josh back, but…he isn't coming home to us. I can let him go and be at peace, as much as that hurts. I have four kids, we took Caro's to give them a home…I'm not who I was a few years ago, Jimmy. I have different priorities now."

"Has Kenny let him go?"

Max gulped, not wanting to deal with that subject. "No. I really don't think he has. He took such good care of me, when I was falling apart, I couldn't do the same for him then."

So you are now, he thought, by giving him what he wants. He's asking her to change who she is for him. "Have you really thought this through?"

She nodded. "Yeah…we've gone back and forth over it hundreds of times. Jimmy, I'm okay with it. I never thought I would want to be a stay at home Mom, I really didn't plan on it. I'll be okay."

"Come back part time."

"I can't."

"Kenny won't let you."

I think we'll have real problems if I insist on working right now. I need to be there for him now, and for our family. I'm going to do this. "It's my choice, Jimmy. You can't talk me out of it. Don't blame Kenny."

Oh, I blame him for this, Jimmy thought, watching her for a long moment. She loves him, she's doing this for him…only time will tell if they made the best choice. Believe her when she says it's what she wants. "Good luck."

**10101010101010**

"We should go see a movie or something," Zach said. "My parents would be cool with it."

Samantha nodded. "I think my aunt and uncle would be too. At least my aunt…he can be a little overprotective. It's why he doesn't what her to go back to work."

"Max is going to stay home?" Zach asked. "Does my Dad know?"

Samantha shrugged. "I think they just decided…I couldn't believe it when she agreed. It was really bad when their son died?"

"Yeah."

Samantha nodded. "I never knew him."

**10101010101010**

Max smiled, as she watched Kenny with Lindsay for a long moment. Watching her sleep, she thought, being his overprotective self. It's going to be okay, we're going to be okay. I want this with him, and I would have another baby if we want to go that route. "Hey."

Kenny glanced up, to see her standing in the doorway. My wife, he thought, drinking her in for a long moment, never in a million years did I think I'd get a woman like her. "How'd it go?"

"I think he understands."

"Max?" he asked. "You okay?"

She smiled, despite her nerves and feeling of panic about what she just did. What she just threw away. I'm here, with my baby and the love of my life, this is what matters. This is going to work. Crossing the room to him, she wrapped herself around him in a strong hug. Holding him close, she buried her head in his chest, as his arms came around her. I have everything I want right here. "I love you."

"I love you too," he murmured, combing through her hair and inhaling the sweet scent of honey from her shampoo. "You sure you're okay?"

I will be, Max thought, I need to get used to this idea. Live it…find out who I am with it. "I'm perfect right here."

Kenny kissed the top of her head, holding her to him. She won't regret it, I'll make sure of it.

The End

Part 5?


End file.
